The Rise
by BlackPlasma
Summary: The night sky twinkled away as Hagrid was never sent to fetch Harry which resulted in him being alone for his birthday. Harry never forgets the memories left behind and occurrences have surfaced that have begun to deviate from the norm. With it might come something that will shake the world. Ash will fall from the sky. A Song of Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears. Slytherin Harry A/U
1. Beginnings

**AN: Okay so this is my first story. This first chapter turned out to be around 8,000k.**

 **as a Disclaimer, I do not own Harry Potter or any of its character and I am in no way making a profit. This is for personal fulfillment.**

 **There are scene breaks "…", however I do not know if the site filter will delete it or not. Hopefully it won't. If it does ill have to go back and figure something else out.**

 **On to the Story!**

 **Edited 10-12-15**

* * *

 **The Rise**

 **Chapter 1: The Day of Chance**

 **By BlackPlasma**

* * *

…

It had been a hot day, the sun scorched all throughout July, no mercy was given as it slowly roamed over the earth and stood directly above the Hogwarts grounds.

Minerva McGonagall was furiously scribbling away determined to finish the last of her paperwork when a knock on the other side of the door distracted her from her duties; such a shame, she was nigh about done. Exams grades, muggleborn letters, and other Deputy Headmistress paperwork where temporarily put on hold.

Without looking up from her desk, she made the last bits of finishing touches.

"You may come in." she stated calmly. The person on the other side did so, he walked in with an ever-majestic posture, his robes ever gently following his frame in awe.

Albus Dumbledore stared back at her. Twinkling eyes rivaled the night sky as he looked her in the eye, an ever-welcoming expression of warmth and comfort greeted her. He couldn't help but smile as he noted the parchments laying unorganized around her desk, paperwork he mused, the enemy he knew he would never defeat…

"Ah Minerva, I see your quite busy at the moment"

"I wasn't expecting you to visit, usually you have me come to you, not the other way around, Is there something that I can do for you Albus?"

Dumbledore's lips stretched into a small smile complimenting his eyes, his teeth showing through as he proceeded.

"Ah yes well, I was taking the most enjoyable mid afternoon stroll, and I ran across a stray cat walking through the corridors, it seemed as if the poor creature was looking for something to eat, the poor thing was starved. I simply tried to catch it and take it to my office so that it might enjoy some of my lemon drops, perhaps I would have finally found a free spirit that shared my tastes for the wonders in life."

She raised an eyebrow. How could one describe the Great Albus Dumbledore? He was at times… weird. Did he ever hit himself in the head or was his old age finally catching up to him? She listened on and tried to deduce which of the two possibilities was the right one, though speaking of 'tastes', they where rather… peculiar. She felt remorse for the cat as not even a starving creation of nature would enjoy those foul and disgusting treats. She kept her opinion to herself as she listened to the _Greatest Wizard Alive_ ramble on.

"Minverva, I seemed to have scared the creature off and it ran from me, and fast too I might add. I followed after it of course; however, these old bones wouldn't let me as much walk fast enough to catch it. I eventually lost it and continued to look for it. I searched corridor after corridor, broom closet after broom closet. Alas, I gave up my search, I then found myself near your office, and as I was searching for a cat, I thought of you and decided to see how you were doing along. It seems as if a small part of fate led me here, and if I can remember correctly I had something to tell you, something important. I was going to summon you to my office later on. Though sorry to say. I cannot remember what it was that I wanted to tell you." He said as he gently stroke his great white beard and stood looking to the ceiling in wonder.

Minerva eyebrows twitched slightly as she listened on and on, he was starting to behave like the second coming of Uric the Oddball.

"Well Albus. That is indeed interesting…" she started, trying to take Dumbledore seriously. She had of course heard many of his "jovial" stories. The stories were a goofy at times; he definitely had hit his head at one point in life. "Well Albus, thank you for the tale."

Dumbledore simply smiled before he took out a bag of some kind, he took it out slowly as if it were a delicate flower that demanded ever so gentleness. The bag wasn't big, only about the size of his fist.

The bag peaked Minerva's interest, she sat straighter and she wondered what sort of objects Dumbledore had stored, it was no secret that he was a collector of only the most fascinating magical artifacts. She quickly remembered that he had something to tell her. Maybe it was some sort of magical beads. She could see some color through the bag. Maybe some type of magical artifact that he was working on and would need her assistance?

 _"Yes, that must be it. He must of come here because he needs my help of some sort, he seems to be holding that bag close to him as if he is scared of losing it, or is scared of someone taking it from him?"_

Alas, she looked on intently when he put his hand within the bag. His hand went in the bag and stopped, whole forearm deep in the bag. Her eyebrows rose up a bit, clearly the bag itself had been enchanted so that it contained a bigger space within. A random muggle would have said it must be a trick of the eye. Albus for a moment paused, and then gave a smile, his eyes twinkling behind his half moon spectacles.

Slowly and surely he took out the contents. He pulled out some sort of… colorful animals? Some were red, others green and yellow. _"Those peculiar things must be holding some sort of magical property within, I shall…"_

Dumbledore popped one into his mouth as his eye twinkling madly. He swallowed and he cheerfully looked to his Transfiguration Professor.

"Minerva, I have made a grand discovery as I was walking near Honeydukes, It's a new sweet that Mr. Flume has seemed to stock. He explained to me that it's a popular muggle sweet. I believe he called it Gummy Bears".

McGonagall couldn't help but look at him with a most unreadable expression.

"Your looking a little stiff Minerva, would you like to try some?"

Dumbledore could have sworn he saw the slightest of twitches on her face. She shook her head.

"No Thank you Albus, I am not fond of any sweets that you seem to enjoy". The man's eye dimed a bit. After a second he propped up "Oh well, more to myself, I can see your busy Minerva" his twinkle getting brighter as he looked at the stack of paperwork on her front desk.

Minerva saw him turn to leave, as he reached for the doorknob, he stopped mid action and turned, "Actually Minerva, There is one more thing that I want to discuss with you" Professor McGonagall gave him a long blank stare. She wasn't in the mood.

"Tell me Minerva, what do you know of Nicholas and Perenell Flamel?" His twinkle all but gone.

…

It had been a week since Albus had visited her. She was surprised that Dumbledore wanted to hide _that_ in a school full of children. Especially with someone willing to go to great lengths to gain it. Who ever it was, they were either powerful or stupid enough to try to steal _it_ from the Flamels.

In the end, she had put up a fight with Dumbledore trying to keep it away from the school. Logically, she argued her reasoning that Hogwarts was a place for children to learn, to discover secretes of magic, to control it.

Hogwarts was not an overgrown Gringotts vault! She argued and argued. It was not a choice for her to make and Albus did not seem to see reason. He argued that Hogwarts, due to its ancient magic, had the best protection of keeping unwanted influences out. She couldn't argue with that. In the end, it was his choice as Headmaster. Her arguments in vain.

She looked at her paperwork; she already had contacted the first muggleborns. The first visit to the first one was exactly what she expected. Unsure parents and reluctance to let their child go to a school they couldn't physically see.

She was grateful for the experience she had accumulated over the years. Her past endeavors proved that she had encountered a similar situation as she quickly diffused the temper of angry parents. She looked at herself in the mirror on her desk, years of teaching and drama clearly showed through her hair. She set her attention to the task at hand, focusing on the next muggleborn for her next visit. A Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Their daughter was named Hermione Granger.

She collected her things ready to leave. School letter, introductory books, and parchments that needed to be signed.

Looking at the time, she realized that it would be perfect to go in the evening as most muggles were home from their line of work. She looked at her map and spotted the nearest public floo transpor. Finishing her work, she stepped into her fireplace and disappeared within the green flames.

…

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office looking outside the window onto the forbidden forest. It really was such a nice view in the morning. Glorious one might even say. The portraits seemed to be discussing quietly amongst themselves like they always did. They talked mundane things like stories they have heard during their lives or interesting students they had met at one point or another.

He paid them no attention as he quietly contemplated the coming school year. The coming term would be… interesting. It was rare for many scions of notable families to be in the same school year. Longbottom, Abbot, Bones, Nott, Malfoy, Greengrass, Macmillan...

Definitely an interesting bunch, as he was pondering, he simply came up with the theory that times were so dark in the last war that family's simply decided to 'guarantee' the continuing of certain lineages. He continued to look over the Hogwarts ground from his office.

Not only was the incoming batch of first years interesting on its own right, he would be awaiting the arrival of a baby that many years ago was dropped off at number 4 Privet Drive, Surrey. He wondered how the boy turned out and how he would come to terms with his fame. Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts at last.

The scar, he didn't quiet understand exactly how it came to be and was at a loss for a plausible explanation, an enigma. To think he would see the day someone survived the killing curse, had someone told him long ago that it was possible to cheat death by surviving the killing curse, he would have laughed. And yet the proof was right there. Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived indeed.

Like Minerva around a week ago, he also turned back from his thoughts and was wrapping the last of his paperwork. It seemed that the Ministry had declined his suggestion for an increase in budgeting. He planned to at least get new potion ingredients instead of relying on Professor Sprout. He had her students prepare magical plants that were used in potions for the upcoming year.

 _"I guess I will have to tell Severus the bad news again"_ he silently mused.

He continued his paperwork for another 3 hours before he had heard a knock on his door.

"Come in" was the reply of the Headmaster

"Good afternoon Albus" was the first thing that McGonagall had said when she first walked in.

"Ahh Minerva, how may I help you this fine day?" said Albus as he motioned for her to take a seat. She did so with a nod.

"Well, there seems to be a problem with one of the letters. Albus felt something jump in his gut, he had a suspicion on what it was about.

"It seems Mr. Potter has not received his letter. The charm on the letter would have notified me if he had opened it. I have sent over forty and none have notified me."

Dumbledore let out an exasperated sigh, his suspicion confirmed.

"Very well Minerva, I shall send for Hagrid to deliver his let.." He didn't get to finish as Minerva cut him off.

"With all due respect Albus, I have been the one tasked to be the one delivering letters to muggleborn. Let me remind you that I have been the one with experience in delivering letters. I have been the one who was able to get muggle parents to relax. Hagrid might be a kind person and mean well, I however do not feel confident that he will be able to properly introduce him to our world."

"Very well, Minerva. I see you have very valid point."

…

Harry Potter wondered how in the world he and the Dursley's managed to relocate to an old shabby house in the middle of freaking nowhere! He hated the turds. For as long as he remembered, he was always subject as some sort of slave to the Dursley household. He had cooked, cleaned, and even washed their dirty clothing!

He shook of his thoughts and pondered on how his current predicament had started.

 _"It was the letter_ " he thought. That single letter seemed to have drained the color from his Uncle Vernon's face. The letter clenched in his hand so hard that Harry believed that his Uncle's fingernails would pierce through the parchment and break his skin! He would have laughed if he could, however he felt a shiver of fear run down his spine when his Uncle had grabbed him by the hair and pushed him into his _room_.

He had heard his uncle walk away. He coiled in his old but comfortable blanket. All he heard were whisperings from his Aunt and Uncle. His cousin Dudley tried to see what was going on but was sent to his room, surprisingly.

…

 _After Harry was thrown in his Cupboard_

"What's going on dear?" Petunia asked curiously. "What did the freak do this time?" Vernon walked into the living room where she sat sipping tea.

"Petunia keep it down" he ushered in a strong but whispered voice, the urgency in his tone making her take on a serious mood. He handed her the crumpled letter with a shaky hand.

"W-what's going o…" said Dudley as he was also on the couch sitting next to his mother watching the tele.

"Nothing boy, go to your room and I'll take you out for Ice Cream later."

"B-but… "

His fathers face turned a shade of purple that he rarely saw. He didn't need to be told twice before he jolted to his room.

Vernon turned his wife.

She put the tea down and grabbed the letter what had gotten her dear husband to take such a strong stance? She immediately set her gaze to who the letter was addressed to and by whom.

 _Mr. Harry James Potter_

 _The Cupboard Under the Stairs_

 _4, Privet Drive,_

 _Little Whinging,_

 _Surrey._

Her eyes fixated on the symbol of which the letter had been sealed in. That dreaded fucking symbol! How she wished she would never see that dreaded thing again. Looking up to immediately catch her husband's eye, she quickly ushered him to the kitchen, farthest from the cupboard.

Vernon upon entering the kitchen whispered to her "Petunia. What are we going to do? Did you not read the part where it said where he slept? THEY KNOW." He all but hissed.

"We have tried our best to make sure _he_ grew up like a normal person and wash away this, this… this freakishness! Its unnatural! Petunia! Its not too late to go dump him in the orphanage!"

No, that would only make it worse.

"We can't! They will come looking for us! Not only that but we will be forced to pay back what _he_ has sent to us for our troubles. Lets play it off and see what happens. And do try to relax Vernon. It would do us no good. They know where he is sleeping, who knows if we are being watched right now!" She hissed back.

Vernon looked like he was about to protest. He thought of punishing the freak even more but thought better of it. She had a point.

"Vernon, we need to change his sleeping arrangements"

He gave her a look but had reluctantly agreed, they both departed the kitchen and made their way to the cupboard.

…

Harry was coiled up in his blanket as Vernon opened his 'bedroom door'. When Harry looked up he saw that his uncle seemed as if he was trying to keep himself from exploding again.

He was shocked when his uncle addressed him by his name. He had actually tried to talk to him civilly. What a shock!

He would have never believed the day would come. It seems that whatever came for him in the mail had a positive effect for him.

"Say Harry, we have been thinking and have agreed that soon you will start to get bigger. We agreed that this cupboard can't house you forever."

 _"Though I would have forced you in here if I had my way"_ Vernon didn't voice his opinion.

"Your Aunt and I have agreed that you could move into Dudley's second bedroom, though you will have to clean it up yourself and bring his stuff and place it here. Got it?"

Harry quickly nodded dumbly as fast as he could before they rescinded the decision.

Petunia stood by the whole time and when she saw the freak, errrm nephew agree to the decision, she quickly followed her husband up the stairs to unlock the smallest bedroom in the house. Harry simply gathered his blanket, pillow, and a few items of clothing from Dudley and followed them up the stairs. He had immediately cleaned out the room and was quick to settle in.

He couldn't stop the grin as he heard Dudley yell out

"Why does he get to keep my second roo…!" He was interrupted when Vernon Dudley had shouted at him.

"Quiet son, me and your mother have our reasons! Quickly, go get ready, I'll take you to that ice cream place I promised earlier." That shut Dudley up.

Harry jumped on the bed and stretched his legs and arms with a smile. It felt good to finally be able to stretch in a decent sized bed.

…

 _Present_

As Harry drew a birthday cake on the floor, he couldn't help but also remember the events that ensued. The next day two of the same letters came, the next, four letters came and so on and so forth. Each day the letters doubled exponentially until it drove his Aunt and Uncle near insane. They tried moving around a bit, they tried going to a motel, moving for a few days to the countryside. Nothing seemed to work. The letters always found them! He had to give praise to who ever it was. The mysterious bloke was determined.

He had finished drawing his cake. He drew a stick for every year and had just finished his eleventh stick. He simply stared at it; July 30th 1991, only a few minutes until midnight.

Harry turned towards his cousins watch. Dudley was sleeping on the couch, his fat arse snoring like a pig. He watched as the clock stroked midnight. He looked at his drawing before making a wish _"I wish I belonged somewhere"_ , he inhaled oxygen to his lungs and then blew on his drawing.

Satisfied, he pulled his blanket close to him before rolling over and falling asleep. He didn't worry that his Aunt would ruin his day again by reminding him of his parent's death in a car crash, thus reminding him of his disgusting scar. He had simply gotten use to being treated like dirt on his birthday.

On the morning of July 31st, Harry woke to start the eggs and bacon, careful not to burn the bacon, a lesson he had learned the hard way… through belt lashes, courtesy of his fat uncle.

He cracked open an egg and poured the egg white and egg yolk into separate bowls. His Aunt became more aggravated with him when there was more egg yolk than egg white. Unlike her husband and son, she liked to eat healthy meals. He prepared the baked beans. As he cooked, he didn't notice Vernon waking along with his son Dudley. They both loved smell of bacon in the morning.

Disgusting pigs. They made their way to the table nearby and waited to be served.

"Don't forget the tea boy!"

Harry rolled his eyes

"Yes Uncle Vernon" he had replied.

He started to serve when his Aunt Petunia had come down and taken a seat.

He put the healthy eggs in his Aunts dish first, then began to serve the 'tastier' eggs for Uncle Vernon and Dudley. Next up was the bacon. He remembered to put 'extra' on Dudley's plate; he was after all, a 'growing' boy. He grabbed the pieces of English biscuits he had been toasting while cooking the eggs and passed it on to their plates. He went back to grab the tea cups along with the tea he had brewed and poured it in.

The baked beans were done and he went by each plate to give the servings.

"Well done boy. It seems that your Aunt and I have had some success in raising you right" his uncle said with his mouth full of chewed bacon. After he saw his 'family' digging in, he went to sit where he had slept as his presence apparently caused his Uncle to eat with his mouth open.

He yelled at him to get out of their sight for the time being.

His stomach growled which his Aunt Petunia noticed. "Get some bread and eat boy, it wouldn't do us any good if you just upped and died on that spot."

He didn't need to be told twice.

Harry Potter spent his birthday cooking and cleaning for his family. It was normality for him to spend his birthdays cooking and doing chores.

The day passed quickly and uneventfully for the family. No letters or anything. Vernon was in fact relieved as nighttime fell. He felt that soon they would be able to return to Privet Drive.

Harry once again rolled onto his 'bed' and fell asleep. The day passed quickly considering Aunt Petunia kept reminding him of his parent's car crash and how it was his drunken fathers fault. As he went to sleep, he let out a tear as darkness took control over his vision.

…

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley decided with glee that it was time to finally return back home. Their mission was a success; the letters following them from their home to the hotel rooms and then ceased. While driving, Vernon couldn't help but smile joyfully of the peace and silence they were find at that dreaded house on the rock. He had to admit, when he first set his eyes on it, it was repulsive thinking he would have to be staying there for a few days; he was desperate enough to get away from bizarre and freaky things.

"Here we are! Home sweet home" announced Vernon Dursley as he flashed the cars turn signal to make a right onto Privet Drive. Vernon couldn't wait to eat. It was a long ride, the man was tired! He looked to his passenger and realized his wife was asleep. Must have passed out sometime during the trip. He looked at the rear view mirror to see his boy also asleep.

Apparently his announcement fell on deaf ears as his wife and son snored right through it. He then looked to the right side of Dudley and found his nephews green eyes staring back at him. Vernon's eyebrows quickly turning to furrow at him through gritted teeth. His muscles of facial expression where contorted, he glared at the boy through the rear view mirror.

Harry gulped and looked at anything but the mirror. He was in for it now. There would be hell to pay. He knew his Uncle would take his anger and frustrations for the past few days out on him.

The family car pulled up into the driveway of house number four. Petunia and Dudley stirred in their sleep as they came to a stop.

Fluttering their eyes open, they quickly remembered where they where. Dudley stretched himself out fast, quickly hitting Harry and knocking his glasses off. Harry glared at him but said nothing.

The family stepped out of the car

Vernon did not shout, the neighbors were outside, he quickly pulled Harry aside and whispered loudly into his ear "Listen freak, your Aunt and my Dudlers are tired, as am I, it is your duty to take our luggage to the living room, you WILL do it"

Vernon added as he noticed Harry looking unsurely at the oversized luggage. "If you don't have it done it 10 min there would be hell to pay, I will make you clean the house and then clean it again just to make sure you didn't miss a spot. "

"Yes Uncle."

As the family walked back inside Harry noticed a black cat. It looked on as it watched the whole exchange. It looked freaky as hell! What kind of cat just sits still staring at people like a statue? Harry shrugged off his thoughts and kept to the task at hand. He ignored the cat.

He sighed as he looked at the luggage. His scrawny frame had nowhere near the muscle mass needed to lift the heavy looking bags. Dudley maybe, but not him.

He grabbed it with his right hand and with as much force as he could pulled as hard as he could, he was successful. Too successful as he stepped back quickly from the momentum, he lost his footing and promptly fell on his arse.

"Ouch, I guess I pulled too hard" said the young boy as he stood up.

 _" I guess its lighter than it looks, waay lighter"_ thought Harry in his head.

It took a few minutes but Harry was able to carry the luggage back inside.

" _Did they bother to pack anything at all? A toddler could have picked up the luggage"_ Thought Harry as he was surprised by how light the luggage was. Almost like a feather.

Vernon's eyes almost popped out of his skull for a second. Surely it would have taken the runt way more than ten minutes. Though not heavy for him, it should have been for the scrawny 11 year old more than the time alloted! Guess he misjudged the weight. He went to go pick one up. It was heavy.

It should have taken the freak longer! He picked them up like it was nothing! The little shite had just dropped the last one. He must have done the freakishness again, previous anger returned to him and walked over to Harry and grabbed him by the hair and headed towards the cupboard before he heard a knock on the door.

Vernon let go of Harry's head and went to answer the door.

Standing there was a woman who looked around the ages of 55-63. She had a neutral expression; she looked at Vernon straight in the eye. Vernon quickly looked up and down noticing strange robes, a strange pointed tip hat, and a weird stick near her waist.

If Mr. Dursley had married a normal wife with a normal family, he would have simply thought the person a wacko, closed the door and resumed to what he was doing. Unfortunately, he recognized this person one of _them_.

He quickly turned back and yelled "Petunia, I need you here right now!" Minerva McGonagall sighed as she heard the lard of a man scream for his wife; she knew the next hour would be the most unique case she would ever have. "What is it darling…" She made her way to the front door and paused when she saw whom it was. She glared at the women

 _"You!"_

Professor Mcgonnagal gave an eerie look. "Yes, I am sure you both know why I am here for, judging by your reactions. I wish to speak to Mr. Potter"

Harry perked up at the mention of his name. _"I have a visitor? Who would want to talk to me?"_ He thought as he contemplated the situation in from of him. Something clicked in his head. _"I have a visitor!"_ he thought with joy. After all, he had never had a visitor before.

…

Harry couldn't believe what had happened a few hours beforehand. It was like a fairytale in a book that was read during his earlier years at school. He was a wizard! What luck!

Professor McGonagall had explained to him a new world, who would have known that such a world was hidden from the rest of the normal world he grew up in! He was excited, ecstatic even. Thinking of the world he was a part of now, he had been told the truth of his parents. He had been furious with his relatives; they weren't killed in a car crash! They were murdered! And by some jackass who called himself Voldemort!

The professor had explained to him his fame, and the tale. Books were written about him it seemed and there wasn't a child alive who didn't know his name and that his scar was his most recognizable feature. Harry frowned at that, he didn't want to be harassed by people. He had been bombarded in the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. Even the man who had once bowed to him in the streets had been ever so pleased that Harry recognized.

"Dear Merlin's Beard, Its Harry Potter! Look at his forehead, it's the scar!"

Loud gasps were immediately followed. People of all ages and sized tried to grab him, to shake his hand. Some didn't even want to let go of him.

He had covered his scar with his hair after entering Diagon Alley. He didn't want to get recognized again, it was a bit much for the young lad.

He thought back to what had happened to his relatives. He smiled as he remembered that the lady used magic to mute them as they were shouting incoherently. His uncle Vernon's face had never been so purple!

"Mr. Potter, were are here."

Harry looked at the front of an elegant looking building. It was carved of carefully crafted marbled and outfitted with a impressive mahogany door at least five meters high. What caught Harry's attention were the disgruntled and nasty looking creatures that were standing on each side of the door. Each one looked intimidating carrying axes that looked like it would cut through bone like butter.

Harry shuddered.

Minerva McGonagall turned to her temporary charge. "Mr. Potter, what lies ahead of us is the Wizarding Bank, Gringotts. Those two creatures ahead are goblins, make sure you don't do anything that might agitate them; they are known for a short fuse and have a dislike for wizards. Don't ask why now, you'll learn that during your schooling. If they ask you a question, answer them with as much seriousness you can muster."

Harry nodded; he wasn't an idiot, hell, those things looked like they could bite off a limb judging by their small but sharp teeth. McGonagall addressed him again.

"Here Mr. Potter, take this, this will act as verification. Also, there is a possibility that the goblins will ask for a few drops of blood for further proof of your identity. You have never set foot in Gringotts before; they would ask for a wand as verification however, you currently don't have one"

He nodded trying to ingest everything the Professor was telling him. He reached out to grab the golden key that she had held out.

McGonagall stepped forward and moved towards the bank. Harry quickly followed after her. They passed the mahogany door and both guards continued to look forward, hands clasped tight to their weaponry. Harry made sure to stay at least three feet behind McGonagall. As he and his escort made their way through the bank, Harry couldn't bother but look on curiously as goblins sat in high desks, scribing away furiously at pieces of parchments while others seemed to be weighing giant clunks of gold.

He came out of his musings as Professor McGonagall stopped at the tallest desk at the end, there was an old Goblin at the desk scribbling away with a quill, on his desk was a nameplate. It read, "Ironwrath, Head Goblin."

Minerva cleared her throat, and addressed the Goblin,

"Minerva McGonagall here to make a withdrawal from vault 713."

The goblin looked up from scribbling complete and undivided attention to the duo in front oh him. He eyed them like a hawk. He said nothing.

"I also have this from Albus Dumbledore" she said as she reached to hand a neatly wrapped letter." She continued as the goblin took it from her.

" I also have Harry James Potter here as my charge, he is to make a withdrawal from his trust vault."

The goblin's gaze looked at Harry who had tensed. He tried to give the goblin the most serious gaze that he could. He didn't know if the goblin knew it or not, but he was intimidated.

The goblin looked back to Minerva McGonagall "And does your charge have his key?"

On cue, Harry picked out the key from his pocket and handed it up in the air so that the goblin could have a better look. He looked at it intensely for a few seconds before gazing back to McGonagall. "Very well, everything seems to be in order. I shall call for an escort"

He turned his back and yelled out "Griphook!"

Harry saw another goblin come from the back door a few seconds later. Harry saw the goblin and felt a little bit more comfortable, Griphook wasn't nearly as intimidating as the Head goblin. He had a few scars across his face but not as many as the head goblin. The pair followed the escort.

It wasn't long until Harry felt sick to his stomach; He had heard his cousin wanting to go to one of those amusement parks on the tele. The little cart was just like those rollercoasters. When he had gotten into the cart, the track looked like it would go straight at a decent pace, that is until the cart went full speed ahead on a dive that he was unable to see. It did all types of turns, left, right, up, down, did flips, and the occasional barrel roll. They had stopped at fault number 713 first as the Potter trust vault could be visited on the way back.

They had gotten out of the cart and approached the vault; Harry was quick to notice all the little intricate designs on the vault. It was elegant looking and carefully coated with flecks of gold. Professor McGonagall turned to him

"Mr. Potter, stay here and don't approach with me to empty the vault, the contents within this vault are classified manners."

Harry quickly nodded. He watched as the little creature opened the vault with its left hand. He quickly stood back as Professor McGonagall approached the vault and emptied it. Harry didn't get to see much as Minerva McGonagall positioned her back to block his view.

 _"Whatever it is, it must have something to do with Albus Dumbledore"_

He remembered the professor handing a letter from Dumbledore earlier. He watched as his future professor turned around and walked back toward the cart. He soon joined her and waited for the goblin to close the vault, which he had soon done and entered the cart as well.

Griphook turned back to the pair "Our next stop is the Potter trust vault. We did not draw blood from you Mr. Potter. We have other means to verify you with our type of magic. Since we did not draw blood from you Mr. Potter, we will take a detour to Thief's Downfall. Its purpose is to wash away any enchantments or concealments. Understood?

Harry didn't know what to think about that. He simply replied "Okay sir". The Goblin snickered. It wasn't long before they reached Thief's Downfall after a few twists and turns. It was a waterfall and Harry had gotten wet, and nothing had happened. By itself the water had evaporated leaving him and the other passengers dry. They soon had reached the Potter trust Vault in a few minutes.

Harry slowly got up from the cart and made his way toward the vault, he couldn't help but admire it. It was something left to him by his parents. After having spent his life at the Dursleys, he had never been giving anything that he could have claimed to be his. Sure he was given Dudley's old bedroom and clothes, but they were never something meant for him originally. His parents' leaving him a vault was the first thing apart from his Hogwarts letter that was meant for him and him alone.

"Mr. Potter" Harry turned to look at his escort. "Make sure to grab enough. I will not approach with you as it is your privacy."

"But ma'am, I wouldn't even know what to get of whatever is in there."

Minerva sighed, she wasn't his guardian, and the assets in the vault were his privacy. Plus it was unprofessional on her part. However, he did have a point, she knew the Potters were rich, though she didn't know how well off they were. Unlike the Malfoys, the Potters had kept mostly to themselves when it came down to the subject of money, they didn't brag.

"Very well Mr. Potter" was her reply.

The goblin looked at both of them curiously before asking him for his key. He grabbed it when Mr. Potter offered it to him and opened the vault for him.

When the vault opened, Minerva could have sworn her jaw hit the floor with a thundering smack.

 _"Dear Merlin! This is a trust vault; it should be just for the essentials! What were you thinking James! Giving an eleven year this much! And this is how much is left after Hogwarts tuition has been charged!_ "

Harry's eyes had gone as wide as the pans in which he used to cook the Dursleys eggs. He was rich! What luck!

Minerva quickly turned to the goblin. "I assume that any amount not withdrawn will be added to the next year's values? Griphook didn't say anything as he looked towards Harry for any sign of disapproval. He would be killed for giving out that type of information. However, it seemed the Potter boy gave his approval to answer her question. It was his privacy after all, consent was needed here.

Harry gave a nod "its okay to let her know, I trust her". The goblin nodded. "No, his trust vault standard is 15,000 galleons after Hogwarts Tuition has been paid off. From those 15,000, any galleons withdrawn today or within the year would be replenished next year to the original 15,000 from the main vault. He does not have access to the main vault until sixteen"

McGonagall nodded and quickly turned to Harry "Mr. Potter, you will not be needing all of this amount at once, in total, your school supply's should total up to around sixty five galleons, and that's if you decide to get high quality material. I suggest you get around one hundred and fifty galleons and save the rest for the school year.

Harry quickly nodded. Griphook quickly summoned some sort of pouch with a snap of his fingers.

"The Potters are a valued costumer here at Gringotts, since you clearly have no clue what you are doing, we will gift you this complementary pouch. It has been charmed to expand to your desire."

Harry quickly smiled and accepted the complimentary pouch and said

"Thanks!"

He quickly grabbed the amount suggested and deposited into the pouch. He grabbed an extra fifty. After he had gotten two hundred galleons, he walked back towards the cart. He got in as did McGonagall and the cart headed toward ground level, he was now well off, he had no desire to turn into a rich arsehole. He had lived a life where he was used to getting whatever was at the bottom of the barrel. No need to get greedy now.

During the cart ride McGonagall had explained to him all about Galleons, Sickles and Knuts.

…

They had quickly gotten out of Gringotts and made their way to a shop on the other side of the Alley.

"Mr. Potter, I feel we should start here first as it will take time for Madam Malkin to get everything ready. While she takes her time on you, I will need to go do something. I should be back by the time your done. Understood?

She didn't feel like waiting around at the moment. She needed restock on her teaching supplies.

"Yes, ma'am" Harry replied as the pair made their way to a shop called "Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions". They stopped at the front. McGonagall faced him. "This is where I will take my leave Mr. Potter. I will meet with you in a short while. Please don't wonder off." She turned around and headed down the alley, disappearing into the crowd.

Harry once again read the sign on top of the entrance before he looked back at the door and went inside.

Inside he found footstools. He couldn't help but stare fascinated at a pair of scissors on the other side of the room. Each was about 5 feet off the ground. The scissors was independently cutting pieces of some sort of fabric. A pin with a sew was rapidly working and stitching pieces together elegantly.

He was brought out in front of his daze as an older witch called out to him "Hello Dear, welcome to Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. I'm guessing you're here for your Hogwarts set?"

Harry took in the lady's appearance; she was plump, medium size with brown hair that had started to grey in some spots. She also gave him a warm smile. Though she did look like she was about to frown at something. He didn't know what to say, It was his first time shopping.

"umm, yes"

Nodding, the witch motioned for him to follow her. He did so, and went to stand on one of those footstools.

"Stay still darling, and please put your hands up in the air, and stretch them wide. I need to take your measurements". Harry gave her back a calm face as she explained. "Now darling, this is going to take a bit of time to get your measurement. It will take maybe about fifteen minutes". She pulled out her wand and taped on a piece of quill and parchment.

The quill and parchment instantly started to move as if it had a life of its own and it made its way over to him. Before Madam Malkin left, she tapped Harrys arms with her wand so he wouldn't tire himself out. A piece of measuring tape made its way over to him and the quill and parchment started to jot down his measurements.

Harry looked around the room and didn't notice a girl standing opposite of him. He found her staring at him with baby blue eyes. He had been so focused on the magical workings that he didn't notice her presence. He took in her appearance quickly noticing her soft facial features, and blond hair, which was done in a ponytail down to her mid-back. He then looked at her straight in the eyes again and found them again staring back at him. He felt awkward.

She had been watching him the moment he had entered the shop. It was humorous watching him ogle the magical equipment trying to memorize every inch of magic that he could. She had seen him get a bit miffed at the pair of scissors cutting away rapidly doing what it was charmed to do. She had mentally made a note of the boy. He was odd looking. His green eyes were easily the most noticeable feature that struck out to her. Everything else wasn't. The boy was wearing, well, the worst rags that she had ever seen. It was disgusting really. A blue shirt that was obviously meant for someone of another size, the Crabbes maybe? Large brown pants that had been cut at the bottom –rather sloppily really- and sneakers, surprisingly the sneakers were the only things that fit on him. The rest of his clothing choices were odd, even for a muggle. His dark wild hair covered most of his forehead. " _muggleborn this one"_ she thought. Both pre-teens had been standing in silence for a minute, feeling the thick air of awkwardness.

"Hogwarts too?" he had finally asked a bit unsurely.

"Yes…my first year, yours too?"

Hopefully a bit of small talk would pass the time quicker. She was to meet with her sister and parents at the ice cream parlor across the street. The boy's small smile had gotten even bigger. "Yes, can't wait. It's not everyday that you suddenly find out there…" she had tuned him out, she almost rolled her eyes knowing where he was going.

" _Yes, yes, we all here know magic is incredible"_ she didn't want another situation she had experienced at the bookstore. Some bushy hair girl had rambled on and on to her parents of her excitement. The girl was like a harpy yelling in an excited trance. She looked like she could have endlessly run up and down the walls.

"… anyways, you can call me Harry… Harry James." She was brought back to the world from her thoughts and only caught the last bit as he addressed her. She had found his surname odd, well; it wasn't rare in the muggle world to have a first name as a surname. Usually one would introduce themselves by their surnames first and then first name. It was a custom. However, noticing he was muggleborn, she had decided to drop customs for the second. "Daphne, Daphne Greengrass. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." She had told him.

Harry had nodded to her and smiled, "Daphne, just like the flower right?" He had grown accustom to plants as he would work on his Aunt Petunias Garden. Gardening was one of the few chores that he had enjoyed.

Daphne had faintly smiled " Yes. Your are correct Mr. James". She didn't call him Harry as she had just met him and calling him by Harry felt inappropriate to her. However, muggleborns were most likely going to call her by her first name, she would make the exception if he called her that. He was ignorant of magical customs and didn't mean to offend.

Madam Malkin had walked in and addressed her. "There darling, I have all your measurements. Came back in about an hour. I'll have your Hogwarts robe ready for you." She had told her as she taped her wand on the instruments. Daphne nodded and hopped off the stool. "It seems this is farewell " Daphne had said to Harry as he was still being measured. She had some minute's head start on him. He smiled at her "It seems so". She nodded and left the shop. Leaving Harry to his thoughts.

It was a new beginning for Harry.

…

 **End Chapter 1**

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	2. Your Majesty

**A/N: Hey guys, hope you didn't loose your patience on me after 4 days :) I was pleasantly surprised to see many of you following this story now. Makes me feel good, at least I know I'm posting something someone is actually reading. I would like to thank those who have reviewed the first chapter. It means a lot to see that review alert on my iPhone.**

 **I have fixed a problem that someone brought up in a review so if you see an error feel free to let me know. And Again Thank you all who have reviewed, your comments or just a "plz update' gives me inspiration. I also would like to thank Favs/Followers, guys are awesome.**

 **This Chapter is around 7k**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, the characters and world belong to her. I am in no way making a profit. This is for personal fulfillment of creativity.**

 **Now on to the story!**

* * *

 **The Rise**

 **Chapter 2: Your Majesty**

 **By BlackPlasma**

* * *

 **…**

Measurements had been taken and with glee, Harry had hopped off his footstool. He waited for Madam Malkin to return. She had gone to the back of the shop after Daphne had left. He waited two minutes before she had emerged from the back room on the other side of the shop and she approached him with a smile "There dear, just like I had told the other girl earlier, come back in an hour to fetch your robes, ok?" He nodded, though he stood still for unsurely for a second, he wanted to make another request, it was a rare opportunity after all.

Madam Malkin caught on to his linger as he stood still and stared at her. "Is there anything else I may help you with?"

"Yes, ma'am". Harry took a quick glance at his own clothes and frowned; he caught on when Daphne seemed to linger on his clothes a second too long. He looked back to Madam Malkin "Umm… it's these clothes, they're not really… comfortable." He never cared what he wore, ten years of hand me down robes was all he had gotten and gotten use to. When he was younger he requested new clothing from his Aunt and Uncle simply because he was laughed at in school. Aunt Petunia had smeared at him, told him how ungrateful he was for even getting Dudleys clothes.

He had money now and he be damned if he didn't put it to proper use. Daphne's linger earlier had caused his self-conscious younger self to rise again. _" I finally get a break from my life, no my old life! I get to start something new, something fresh. This time it will be different, I am not bringing anything that THEY have given me. I don't have to anymore. I don't need them."_ Harry thought.

Madam Malkin had immediately smiled, oh she knew what he wanted all right. When she had taken her first look at the boy, she had wanted to run to him and yank those _things_ right off! She had refrained from doing so; she would have probably scared the poor boy off. Her eyes lightened up. She immediately flicked her wand. Pieces of different fabrics had been summoned to her. She looked at him for a second unsure if he had the money for it, judging by his choice of clothes. "Are you sure you have the funds young man, not too offend but some of these fabrics can be a bit… pricey."

Harry looked at her for a second. He was slightly offended. Though he had to internally agree that his current clothing gave off the wrong impression of his financial status. Eager to really set himself free of bad memories he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pouch he had been given at Gringotts. He reached in and pulled out a handful of golden Galleons. He didn't mean to look like some rich arse but he had lifted his hand up slightly and let the light hit the gold. The gold reflection hit Madam Malkins in the eye. "…I think I can" he said to her. She blinked not really expecting that. Her smile had gotten even wider than before. She pointed her wand to the back room and flicked her wand again; more pieces of fabrics were summoned to her in a variety of colors.

She had already had his measurements down and had some fabrics hanging off of her arm along with other articles of clothing in a cart behind her. She approached him slowly; she knew what colors she was going to try on him first. She wanted to bring out those brilliant green eyes a bit more, make them pop. She had gotten closer to him, already having an idea of at least a dozen different combinations to try. " _I'm going to have fun with you"_ she thought _._

Harry noticed a strange glint in her eye, she seemed almost… giggly? He had looked at the amount of different pieces of fabrics she had summoned, never before had he seen so many shades of colors, colors varied all throughout the spectrum. There was so many! He looked back at her approaching form, fabrics on her arm ready to go. He immediately connected the dots; he felt his stomach sink a bit. Horrified, he backed away slowly. " _What have I gotten myse… "_ was all he managed to think. For the last time Madam Malkin flicked her wand and he found himself unable to move. Her glint twinkled like a star in the night sky. She let out a giggle. Harry felt a shiver go down his spine.

…

Harry had felt so relieved to see Professor McGonagall, She had entered the shop to look for him.

Minerva McGonagall was greeted by the sight of Madam Malkin parading Harry with an _abundant_ amount of clothing, never before had McGonagall seen the women act like a little girl dressing up a muggle doll. She had gone to go get her teaching supplies while she waited for Harry. She had waited outside the shop for fifteen minutes and feared that Harry did what she told him not too do… wonder off. She had checked inside to make sure he wasn't there. Upon seeing the sight, she had immediately pulled the boy from her. Madam Malkin had put up a fight but reluctantly had let him go… eventually

"Your school robes should be done in about twenty minutes. However, your other clothes will require more time. Come back later to collect everything ok darling?" Harry had nodded as he blushed slightly. He had requested a desire for muggle clothing to Madam Malkin, he didn't get anything exquisite, just enough to blend in with people around him. Though he didn't really get any wizard robes, he had concluded that he would be spending most his time in his Hogwarts uniform. He now owned a variety of colored shirts, and trousers. He was satisfied with what he had gotten for now. He had endured torture for about forty minutes.

"Come Mr. Potter, we still need to go fetch you a wand. We also need to stop by the book store". She had turned towards the front of the shop and headed out. Harry quickly followed behind her, though he looked back and quickly said goodbye to Madam Malkin who had looked torn; she didn't want him to go. Yes the boy had enough clothing for the school year, but she had just started getting into the good stuff. She waved goodbye to Harry for now. She would leave soon and would get an assistant to keep an eye out for Harry when he came back for his purchases. Oh well, she would resume next year for sure. Her eyes widened " _Wait! Did she just say Mr. Pott…!"_

Harry and Professor McGonagall walked down the Alley in comfortable silence. Harry occasionally looked at the shops around him. He was trying to familiarize himself with the shops and the layout of the Alley. He wished that he had more eyes. There were so many shops and not enough time to explore each one. " _I guess I'll roam around the next time I get to visit."_

They continued to walk in silence. A path had caught his attention, unlike the populated path they currently were on; this one seemed to be somewhat deserted and not nearly as populated. If he was observing things right, it seemed as if most witches and wizards were avoiding it. One of the shops down the street was well… odd. It had a statue in front of it. However it was no creature he could recognize. It had a pair of three eyes. All of various colors, mouth so wide that Harry believed he could fit in it. Black wings, jagged teeth, and sharp claws at the end of its limbs. The claws looked like they could shred an unfortunate soul to pieces. He glanced at the other shops around the abandoned alley and found the other shops had some peculiarities. Minerva had looked back to him and followed his gaze.

"That Mr. Potter is Knockturn Alley, you best avoid it. Strange things are known to happen in that part of the Alley. Don't ask why, just know that its not safe for a child your age" she added the last bit as she noticed his questioning gaze. Harry's curiosity peaked even more, reverse psychology. He mentally noted it and put the thought away for now...

They continued on before Harry had addressed her.

"Ma'am".

She had turned to him, curiosity in her eyes. "Um… the letter said that we could bring a pet", she nodded and looked where his gaze was now. 'Eeylops Owl Emporium', well then, the boy wanted an owl.

Her usually serious face turned into a slight welcoming one. "Yes, Mr. Potter, it seems you are correct." Harry grinned a bit "I was wondering if we could take a slight detour over there" he had pointed to the Owl Emporium. McGonagall smiled and then nodded. After all, a fine witch or wizard should have a familiar or pet. They headed towards the shop and entered.

Screeching Owls immediately bombarded Harry's ear. Others were chirping pleasantly. He looked around for a bit not knowing exactly what type of owl to get. He roamed the shop for a bit and spotted an owl, it was brown in color. It looked like any ordinary barn animal. He approached it and immediately regretted his action, the blasted animal had started flapping its wings in warning the closer he approached, it had screeched louder than most owls in the store.

 _" definitely not this one!"_

He decided to move on to the next one… and the next…and the next.

He had spent nearly thirty minutes looking for an owl. Perhaps an owl wasn't a good option? He turned to leave when he had spotted the most gorgeous little creation.

He was immediately drawn to it, radiant and dazzling amber eyes stared at him. The bird had made eye contact with him, and watched him contently. It popped its head to the side, as Harry got closer, he couldn't help but smile, finally an animal that didn't screech! He got close to it and stopped a few feet behind its cage. He wanted to pet it, to gauge its reaction. He inserted his finger to lightly pat its head. The snowy white owl in kind reacted and nuzzled his finger gently…

…The current shopkeeper had just sold a barn owl to an older gentleman. Finished with the transaction he looked around the shop to see if anyone else needed assistance, or maybe he could answer some questions? His eyes had immediately landed on Harry and saw the boy sticking his finger in an owl's cage. He almost froze on the spot. The boy was going to have to go to Saint Mungo's to treat that finger! _"Dear Merlin no, he…"_ was all he managed to think before he saw the snowy owl… gently nuzzle his finger? He blinked in surprise; he made his way over to Harry.

"Well young sir! Congratulations! That owl has been cranky the past few weeks! You have no idea how many younglings have come here to get an owl and seem to like this particular one. Though, it would always screech or try to bite anyone who came near it. It seems for some strange reason, it has taken a liking to you. It must've sensed something. Well done young lad well done."

Harry looked towards the owl "Really? How interesting". He turned to the owl that had hooted softly at him. Its eyes stared into Harry's green ones. "How much?" he said as he turned his head towards the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper had smiled at him. "Well, young sir, snowy whites such as these are often sought out. Though, when we first received it a few weeks ago, we had trouble… calming it down. You're actually doing us a favor by taking it with you. It would fight with the other owls, heck it almost succeeded in breaking off a wing from one of the males." Harry smiled and immediately concluded that it was a female.

The shopkeeper continued "normal owls usually go for around ten galleons, this one is twenty five, however I'll gladly let you go with it for the ten galleons."

Harry raised his eyebrows, must've been hell for the shopkeeper the past few weeks then.

Harry pulled out his money sack and paid the ten galleons. He also paid for some owl treats along with a bigger cage. The snowy white had hooted at him pleasantly. It had obviously approved of the new arrangement. Harry paid for everything and went outside.

The shopkeeper watched him leave with a keen eye. _"I won the betting pool! And they said I was mad!"_ He turned to his co-workers with a smile. Time to brag.

Now the proud owner of an owl, a gorgeous one at that, Harry and McGonagall decided to go take a break and went to enjoy a nice ice cream at the ice cream parlor. Next on the list was his wand…

…

Harry lay in his bed a few hours later. He was back at number four-privet drive. He was contemplating the past few hours' deep in thought. What Mr. Olivander said to him disturbed him. His very own wand was the brother of his parent's murderer.

Bloody fantastic! Another reminder that his parents were killed. He sighed; he didn't have it with him currently as it was locked under the cupboard under the stairs. Even the books that his future professor had let him borrowed about customs and how the wizarding world operated were confiscated from him.

Professor McGonagall had taken him back home when evening started to settle in. She had knocked on the door for him. Uncle Vernon had answered and had immediately turned purple. Nonetheless they entered and Professor McGonagall had a chat with the Dursleys.

He didn't know what they had talked about as he was sent to his room. Before he headed up the stairs, she had said she would be seeing him in three weeks time. "Now Harry listen closely, your boarding pass says platform nine and three quarters. This is not a mistake; the platform is disguised and charmed so that muggles cannot see it. The entrance to the platform is a wall." She paused as she noticed Harrys confused look. "Do not worry, the wall between platform nine and ten is magical and will allow for you to walk straight through it. If you get lost, make sure to follow anyone who dresses strange. If the clothes seem off to you, then it is most likely a witch or wizard in muggle clothing. Every student is required to enter the platform from the muggle side." Harry nodded at her a bit confused.

"Well then Mr. Potter, I will be taking my leave" with a final goodbye she had gone out through the front door. Harry continued to his room and heard a weird popping sound outside his window.

When Harry was alone with the Dursleys, Vernon had immediately approached him in his room "Listen here freak, I want you to have no access to that stick you surely must have by now. Your Aunt told me all about it. So hand it over!" He waved out his hand expectantly. For a second Harry contemplated just waving the thing at him and see what it would do. He had immediately discarded the idea, tempting but not worth blowing his up his Uncle. There would be hell to pay, plus he was sure that the school would expel him for blowing up his relative. Could you get expelled before starting school? Harry had no plans to find out and ruin his new life. He pulled out his wand from his pocket and handed it over, a bit reluctantly. Vernon looked at him.

"No funny business. Your Aunt will come up in a minute to give you your food." Harry nodded and watched his Uncle turn back and leave.

As he continued to lie on his bed he mentally felt relieved. They didn't know about his new clothes as he still wore Dudley's clothes; Good thing his Uncle was too pig headed to check his things. _"Probably too paranoid to find something that would 'contaminate' him"_ Harry thought _._ He didn't have to wait long for his Aunt to knock on his door with dinner.

"Here" she had said before she shuffled the tray of food into his hands and closed his door with a slam. He looked at what they served him and blinked. They had actually given him a decent sized portion. He grinned. _"Finally"_

…

The following three weeks were the longest that Harry had ever remembered! It was finally the day he got to leave the Durselys. He walked back to the house from the car and went to the cupboard to gather the books when his aunt stopped him. She looked intensely at him for a moment until it quickly turned into a sneer.

"I think its best you don't come back for the holiday's Your mother always did comeback to us, that is however… until she met _him_. It wasn't long before she completely forgot about us" She sneered even harder before continuing "She always thought herself so special. Oh she was special all right, got herself blown up didn't she? The bitch."

He stood there for another second not knowing how to respond. Anger rose within him, how could it not? How dare she talk to him about his mother like that! His face had darkened. Before he could retort, her sneer was soon replaced into an unreadable expression. "Get out of my sight" Harry quickly nodded through gritted teeth. He gathered his books and left out the front door. Uncle Vernon was waiting for him. He hurried faster; he put his books in the trunk and got in the car. They soon pulled out of the driveway and where on they're way to Kings Cross.

The ride passed in silence, Harry looked at his Uncle every now and then. He had expected him to tell him off or something. However, his uncle kept his eyes on the road, not even acknowledging that he had a passenger on board. He had thought of his Aunt Petunia " _How dare she! She could have called me freak or something. I could've handled it. But to say that about my mother!"_ his hands curled into fists.

It took almost an hour before they had reached Kings Cross; morning traffic not making the time spent in the car feel any faster for both of them. Vernon had driven away from the parking section and headed straight for the drop off section.

He had turned to Harry and for the first time while in the car spoke "Well boy, it seems this is farewell for now. You wont miss us and surely we wont miss you. Now go join your freaky people and do whatever you freaks usually do. Get out!"

Harry did so with a frown. The trunk of the car had been opened and he immediately took them out to place on a nearby cart a gentleman had approached him with. A handy service man was working the drop off zone and he was giving the ones dropped offed carts so that they could place their luggage on. It was fast and efficient, not to mention traffic in the drop off zone was better avoided that way. Harry immediately thanked the man. "Thank you sir"

"Sure thing lad, let me get that heavy luggage for you out of your dad's car". Harry almost gagged, but said nothing.

Grabbing a hold of the cart after the man put the big piece of luggage on said cart, he headed inside; a gentleman had noticed his luggage and raised his eyebrows at seeing an owl in a cage. He opened the door for Harry. Harry thanked the man like he did the service man but ignored his glance. Harry heard the loud screech of a tire. A car engine roared its rage; he looked back and saw that smoke had risen up from where his uncle had dropped him off.

He turned his head back and went inside the station. Immediately he had started to unbutton Dudley's large long sleeved shirt and took it off. He easily slid Dudley's trousers off too. _"That's better"_ he thought. During the time spent with Madam Malkin, he had seen her shrink clothes and so he asked Madam Malkin to shrink one shirt and one pair of pants that he had purchased. She had looked like she wanted to ask why but refrained from doing so.

He had thought it well over, even though most of his new clothes was locked in the cupboard during three weeks, he had kept one of the shirts and one pair of pants in his pocket, shrinked. He had put his new clothes under Dudley's this morning, He only had to pull at his little shirt and pants before it expanded and became a size meant for him. Dudleys large size made it easy for him to have two layers of clothing on.

He had attracted glances from passerby's when he had changed; he ignored them and continued on his way, catching curious glances thrown at his owl's direction every now and then. He had named the owl Hedwig.

He walked from platform to platform " _that's platform one… that's two… that's…"._

Finally he had reached platform nine. " _Between platforms nine and ten"_ he had remembered McGonagall telling him. Reaching the wall he believed to be the entrance, he had immediately spotted a bunch of red heads, a family he assumed. He had only gotten there in time to see a pair of twins run at the barrier. The mother waved goodbye at them "Remember to take care of your little bother! Make sure he stays out of trouble!"

 _"Dear lord, could that lady possibly get any louder?_ Harry thought to himself, though muggles paid the group no attention. He watched the last twin go through the wall. Only the mom and a younger boy his age were left there standing.

He held his breath, he knew he had found the barrier but couldn't help but feel a turn in his stomach. All of the information he had gained the past few weeks seemed to have hit him with strong realization. _"It really isn't a dream, this is for real,"_ he thought. His brain had immediately fired off electrical impulses to one another, trying to comprehend how it was possible to go right through the wall. " _Magic"_ , still… he was nervous; his brain was perceiving the wall as well… a wall. He knew he wouldn't crash but he still felt like he would.

He had seen the last of the family go right through, the boy who had looked his age. He had made his way over to position himself in front of the barrier. It seemed that not all of the red heads had gone through; there was a red headed girl standing around who was younger than him.

She had turned to look in his direction and had stared at the snowy owl with a smile. Her eyes then gazed towards his face. Harry made temporary eye contact with her. He saw that her eyes had wondered a bit higher and was now staring at his lightning bolt scar. Her smile had vanished. Her face immediately changed into one of amazement, her eyes had gotten wider and she let out an exasperated gasp.

Immediately his pituitary gland had released Adrenocorticotropic which had went to his adrenal gland above the kidney. ACTH in turn had instantaneously stimulated the release of epinephrine into his systemic circuit. The hormone had reached his heart and entered the pulmonary circuit delivering epinephrine. Before the girl could say anything, he ran for it. The last thing he heard before going through the wall was "Mum! I think I just sa…"

He had made it to the other side and had immediately pulled a piece of hair over his forehead. " _How could I forget that!? I should have covered it immediately when I entered the station!"_ he had fucked up.

He stopped his thoughts and was amazed by the sight. The red and black Hogwarts Express shone in glory under the rays of the sun. He couldn't help but grin. His thoughts were immediately broken when the train let out a whistle. An older gentleman had yelled out " Express leaves in five minutes!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He hurried to get his luggage on board. A fifth year prefect had been outside making sure that students were ready to go. He had seen Harry and went to help him out as Harry tried to get his luggage on board. "Come on! Get a move on!" Harry looked at him with a frustrated face. The prefect had raised his eyebrows and shook his head. He took out a wand from his robes before pointing it towards Harry's luggage, " Wingardium Leviousa" the boy said. Harry's luggage had floated from the ground and onto the train.

Harry turned to the boy to give his thanks but decided against it when the boy gave him a serious look "Go!" Harry gulped and made his way inside the train.

He had walked down the train searching for a place to sit. He couldn't find any; everywhere was filled with kids older than him! He continued to head down the train again, " _Nope that ones full… those kids are like 16…. That ones…"._ He continued to look for a compartment for a while.

He had stopped suddenly when he noticed a compartment with one person inside. He immediately recognized the blond hair. She was dressed in muggle clothing though a bit awkwardly. She had a shirt on meant for a boy… He knocked on the door. The girl had looked back curiously as she had been staring out the window. She had stood up and went to open it. Her eyes looked at him curiously before recognition hit her eyes. After all, how could one forget green eyes like his?

Harry beamed at her "Hi Daphne, mind if I sit with you? Everywhere else is full." He asked rather sheepishly and a hand behind his head.

"Actually no, no problem at all. Sit" she replied to him. He had moved to put his luggage up on storage above the seats. There was more luggage there, though it looked like it was too much for just Daphne. He concluded someone else would be joining them soon. Daphne then retook her seat by the window. She saw him struggle with his luggage. She addressed him, "You know, I have a feather charm patch".

He had looked at her with a confused expression. She pulled out a sack and stuck her hand deep within, searching for something. She had pulled out a patch the size of her hand. She noticed his questioning look and remembered something _"Right… Muggleborn"._ She offered him the patch.

"Here just stick this to your luggage, it will make it weigh like a feather". Embarrassed that he wasn't able to pick up his luggage, Harry had quickly accepted the patch with a "Thank You". He placed the charmed patch on the luggage and true to her word it indeed felt like a feather. He had placed his luggage in storage soon enough. Daphne had her eyes on him the whole time. She had thought back to their first encounter at Madam Malkins. They boy had stared at the shop in wonder, he had a sheepish grin on his face the whole time, and he had wore awful rags. She had noticed his current clothes _"Better, waay better than the last time. Nice improvement"._ Unaware of her thought, Harry had smiled at her and moved to sit on the opposite side of her. She turned to the window and waved.

Harry followed her gaze and saw what he presumed to be her family judging by how the women looked like an older version of her. Next to her was a tall man with brown hair that had started to grey a little at the sides. He had brown eyes. He then noticed a little girl in between them, waving at Daphne. She had a stronger resemblance to the man than she did the women. He turned back to the lady. She looked no older than thirty-two, she was a beauty.

The train started to move.

Harry had turned to feed Hedwig. Daphne had turned back to face him and noticed the stunning creature "Your owl is very beautiful. It's a shame that its stuck in that cage instead of spreading its wings." Daphne remarked. Harry blinked. He turned to Hedwig "Do you want to get out and follow the train girl?" Harry didn't think the owl would reply to him. The owl hooted at him pleasantly and bopped its head up and down. Harry blinked again.

Soon enough the train had exited the station. As Harry was sitting next to the window, he moved his hand towards the latch and opened it. He then opened Hedwig's cage, the bird had immediately shot off and flew out the window. It kept flying within distance. Daphne watched it fly off and looked at him. Noticing the worried look on his face she said, "Don't worry about it tiring out, its magical and should be able to last extended flights. It is their specialty after all". Harry had nodded and smiled at her.

They had both sat in a bit of awkward silence. Harry because, well, he really never talked to a girl alone before. And Daphne didn't know what type of conversation to start. She was a bit clueless on matters of the muggle world, though she had ventured there with her parents and sister for sightseeing. Both pre-teens had been saved from starting a conversation when someone had walked in.

Harry had looked to the person. It was another girl. She had light brown eyes, wavy light brown hair and was a bit shorter than Harry. Her eyes immediately jumped between Daphne and Harry. "Well well Daphne, I leave you here alone for about ten minutes and you somehow managed to bring a boy in here, though I don't mind, he has cute eyes." Harry felt heat rise up his cheeks; never had a girl complimented him before. What was he supposed to do? He did the only thing an eleven-year-old boy would do. He turned to the window with a muffled "thank you" and tried to forget the compliment.

Daphne had looked at her friend appalled "Tracey!" she hissed. Tracey grinned and then gave her an innocent look. She went to go sit next to Harry. Harry had quickly looked towards Daphne. She had avoided his gaze. It took a second but Daphne had cleared her throat and addressed him "Harry, this is my good friend Tracey Davis. Tracey, this is Harry James." Tracey had extended her hand out to him "Nice to meet you Harry." Harry had replied the gesture and shook her hand.

Tracey looked at him with curiosit. _"James? Definitely muggleborn.",_ she thought to herself before her eyes roamed his clothes, no further proof needed for her. She was a half blood and knew the muggle world well enough.

She smiled at him, her eyes focused on him. She wanted to know about him "So anyways Harry, tell me about…" Daphne said nothing and listened to the conversation.

Three hours had gone by and after awhile Tracey took a liking to Harry, not in a romantic sense more of a friendly liking. She mentally noted that he would avoid questions about his personal life at home and he seemed to go rigid. She didn't press the issue. " _Not a good home life I presume then Mr. James. Or perhaps money too tight?"_ She thought to herself.

There was a knock at the door. Tracey stood up to open it as she was the one closest to the door. A lady stuck her head in and smiled. "Anything off the trolley dears? " Tracey bobbled her head up and down, she went to sit to grab her bag. Daphne had reached for her bag as well. Harry had beaten them to it, as he had only had to reach into his easily accessible pocket. He had stuck his hands in his sack and pulled out a handful of Galleons. He turned to the lady "Well take loads."

Tracey had stared at the Galleons in his hands and blinked " _Woah"._ Daphne said nothing; she looked at him curiously.

Harry had ordered at least two of everything. He got extra chocolate frogs. Daphne seemed to nod at him in approval. It wasn't long before all three were digging in, stuffing their mouths with sugar.

Harry had just finished a chocolate frog and had reached for a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He had opened the box and reached for one before Tracey interrupted him. "Careful with those, they really do mean every flavor". Daphne had nodded at him seconding her statement. She felt disgust go down her spine as she remembered the time she had gotten a peculiar one. She swore that she would never touch another one of those beans ever again. She had been traumatized; the taste of sweaty feet would just about do it.

Harry had popped a purple one in his mouth and then put the box down. His face contorted in disgust. Daphne gave him questioning look. He put the box down and put it far away from him. He didn't say what flavor he tasted.

Daphne went back to her own sweet in her hand, she loved chocolate frogs and she was on her third one and eating it rather rapidly.

"Queenie, don't hog it all, pass one down" Tracey had said. Daphne had glared at her and promptly threw her a chocolate frog. Harry looked between the two confused. Obviously Daphne wasn't fond of what Tracey had called her.

"Queenie?" Harry had looked at both of them questioningly.

Daphne turned her head from Harry and glared harder at Tracey. Tracey in turn smiled.

"Oh its nothing Harry, its just a nickname I call her that from time to time. I'm not the only one; a few others call her that too every once in a while"

She tuned to Daphne "Can I tell him the story Daphne?"

Daphne kept her glare on the brown haired girl. "Do what you like" Tracey had beamed at her. "I promise you I'll get my cousin to buy you loads of chocolates from Honeydukes" Daphne's glare had lessened at that. Though she still wasn't pleased. Why should Harry know, they had just met them. She sighed, the more comfortable she got with that nickname the less it would bother her and ultimately bore her friends out from using it as often. Thinking of the chocolate Tracey promised her, she said "Caramel, almond, and hazelnut. Mr. Flumes specialty brand" Daphne stated to Tracey, Tracey nodded knowing how she took her chocolate.

Tracey giggled. "Oh Harry, its actually kind of a cute story really."

Harry looked toward Daphne to see that she was looking out the window. Ignoring both of them.

"Well Harry you see, Daphne is heiress presumptuous to an old family. They're very old and respect the old traditions. Her mother more so than her father. So when she celebrates her birthday, it's more of a formal event with other old and traditional families." She had stopped to see if Harry was following along. Harry nodded, occasionally taking glances at Daphne, who been looking out the window still pretending she didn't hear them. Seeing Harry nod, Tracey continued.

"Well, Daphne here was never really fond of those events. Her dad occasionally spoils her. So after the formal event, he organized a smaller party for her and her close friends only. However…" She turned to look at Daphne, Harry followed Tracey's gaze. Daphne continued to look out the window; she looked at Hedwig who was keeping up with the train. Her cheeks were tinted with a slight shade of pink. Tracey noticed and let out a small giggle before she continued.

"…well, it was a dress up event and her father let her choose the theme." Tracey's paused again and her eyes glinted a bit.

"She…she…she chose her theme as a royal court and dressed up as a Queen! We where all forced to dress up as her constituents! Oh it was hilarious! She had a crown on and everything! She even mimicked the gracefulness of a Queen exquisitely! She took way too seriously." Tracey had grabbed her stomach from laughing; she had a tear coming out her eyes.

"I was seven!" Daphne had yelled out to Tracey, forgetting that she was pretending not hear. Her slight blush from earlier was now a deeper shade of pink throughout her delicate face.

Harry was confused…

She was interrupted as someone opened the compartment door without knocking. A pale slender boy walked in. His pale blond hair was slicked back. A sneer on his face. as he looked at Daphne. He addressed her.

"I would have thought that someone of your status would associate yourself… with better acquaintances Greengrass. Laughing it up with those beneath you are you?" The boy had paused and looked at Tracey's direction. He stared at her for a second. Tracey had gone deathly quiet and looked at her shoes.

Daphne's face had turned to a piercing expression, heck it frightened Harry.

"I would have thought that that someone of your _status_ would be equipped with better manners. Has the house of Malfoy fallen that far that manners are on par with a troll? Shame really. Though I suppose the house of Malfoy could use a hand up to the forearm for a knock?"

Draco Malfoy immediately caught on to her insinuation. He looked like he was about to retort back but stopped. He noticed that there was another boy in the cart. He had noticed Harry clothes. He turned to Daphne and gave her a disgusted look. She stared at him back unflinching. They stood like that for about fifteen seconds.

Electricity could be felt in the air; no one dared to say anything. It seemed as if Daphne and the boy had moved to grip the handles of their wands. Daphne was ready to jump up and cast a …nasty spell her mother had taught her. Malfoy however was the first to move his eyes away from hers. He stepped back. Ignoring the tension.

"I simply came here to look for someone. Though I doubt that such a person would freely choose to spend it with a person of… lowliness." He had taken a quick glance at Harry.

"And if I may ask, who is this person you highly seek. Perhaps we can point you to their direction. " _And get you to leave here already you presumptions arse."_ Daphne asked Draco. Draco looked at her with an incredulous face.

"Well well, it seems the Greengrasses aren't informed well as I have thought. All that influence and yet nothing. A family of such status. How disappointing…" "tsk tsk". I'm looking for… Harry Potter of course. It wouldn't be fair to him to go mingle with the wrong sort. Though he may be half, a person of such credibility needn't get tangled by… filth. " He turned and left.

Harry had frozen when he had heard his name.

The cart was dead silent. It felt like cracks of electricity still lingered in the air. Daphne was left to her thoughts. She had clenched her first for a fraction of a second before she seemed to relax. She turned to Tracey who had still been staring at her shoes. She sighed. She would have to talk to her later in private, her best friend was _sensitive_ to her blood status, Draco didn't help at all. She looked to Harry who clearly had no clue what was going on. She eyed him for a moment and gave him a slight smile. Harry blinked. She looked back out of the window. A few minutes later Tracey had managed to speak up, though her usual voice was barely more than a whisper "D-do you think its true? I-is Harry Potter really coming to Hogwarts?"

Daphne looked at her and then sighed again before running a hand through her blond hair. "I don't know Tracey. It could be just a rumor; No one knows where he has been for the past ten years. He vanished that night with You-Know-Who. Besides, why would he show up without so much of a whisper? No one in the wizarding world has been able to find him. There have been countless attempts and yet nothing. Some people have claimed to know where he is and why; however there has never been concrete evidence that supported such claims. Heck even the Daily Prophet conducted their own investigation. Do you remember that? You know how persistent the Prophet can be Tracey. If he is indeed coming to Hogwarts, where has he been this whole time and with whom? Why would he show up now from nowhere?

Tracey nodded towards her friend. "D-do you remember the riot that happened at the Ministry? Mum never told me the details; she just mentioned that it had something to do with Harry Potter."

Daphne looked at her and gave her a questioning look. "You don't know?" Tracey shook her head. Daphne continued, "Well, your right… it was about Harry Potter. Wizards and Witches rioted inside the walls of the Ministry. They demanded to know where he was being kept and why he disappeared, they also demanded to know his welfare. It must have been horrible Tracey. I don't know what exactly my father does at the Ministry but that night… he came home with blood running down his arm. I've never seen my mother so worried and scared. She had immediately started stitching him back up. All my dad told me is that there was a small riot at the Ministry and that spells were flying all over the place. "Nothing to worry about" he told me. Astoria doesn't remember. She was just three years old at the time. I only know the details through whispers from Pansy and Millicent."

Tracey was looking at her with a frown. She didn't know what to think of that.

Harry was taking in every single word. His eyes had gotten big when he had heard of the riot. He didn't know thnk about that. He didn't know people got hurt over him.

Tracey asked her next question "Di-d did your parents ever read to you the 'Adventures of Harry Potter' before bedtime'?"

Harry's eyes almost popped out of his skull.

Daphne nodded. "Do you think he'll be anything like in the books?" Tracy asked.

"Look Tracey, to be truthful, I don't really know what to expect. If Malfoy is right and he really is coming. He could be like the book and at the same time he could be the opposite. Besides those bedtime stories are fantasy Tracey. Surely you don't believe them? No one has seen him in ten years remember.

Tracey smiled slightly at her friend. "Its just you know, it's a bit hard to let go of a childhood fantasy. Just imagine if it were true Daphne. Harry Potter coming to save you while riding a dragon."

Daphne smiled at her "It would be a nice fantasy fulfilled I suppose…"

Harry almost choked on his chocolate frog. He got a weird look from both girls but they paid him no further attention. Their topic of discussion was clearly more interesting than him

Daphne gave Tracey a serious look "There's a rumor going around the old Purebloods. They seem to think that Dumble…."

Harry had tuned them out. He had been lingering on every word. He felt a huge weight in his chest. His heart was beating furiously and unyieldingly. He had looked outside and spotted Hedwig. How he wished he had wings so he could just fly out the window; going wherever he pleased. He would have sunken further into his chair if he could. It seemed Daphne and Tracey no longer paid him any attention. He sighed. He longed for the cupboard under the stairs now. " _Of all the things! A bloody dragon…"_

…

 **What you think, too long, too short? Let me know. Suggestions, advice, praise, and flames all equally accepted. If you haven't guessed already by the chapters tittle, I decided to poke a little bit of fun with Daphne. There is speculation that J.K. Rowling almost did make her name Queenie. I just threw my two cents at it.**

 **Are the descriptions fine? Not enough dialogue? Pacing too slow? Let me know and I will try to address it.**

 **A Serious Note:**

 **Ok, story later on will get dark. There will be vivid description of torture, however for now this story will remain innocent and a bit of fluff. Daphne will be integral later on in the story, which is why I went through the trouble of starting from the very beginning. As such, much time will be spent developing her and Harry's relationship. A tree that gives oxygen needs to be planted first, watered, and given time to grow before it supplies life.**

 **Harry WILL be the badasspowerful mofo we all want him to be, however. It wont happen over night and not until way waaay later. He will have to work hard to get there. And he wont be overpowered to point where he could kill Voldemort with both his hands tied behind his back and blindfolded using wandles magic. As Harry is eleven at this time, he wont be torturing or banging girls any time soon like I have seen in many fics. And I will NOT use the whole "I solemnly swear on my magic that I'm blah blah blah, so mote it be" That shit makes me cringe. Its basically arse pull. Harry wont be 'Harry James Slytherin Gryffindor Ravenclaw Hufflepuff Guant Peverall Black Greengrass Malfoy Dumbledore…..Potter. You get the point. Its going to be a long fic.**

 **Harry will be independent, however that will take time.**

 **Haven't decided if I should bash Dumbledore or make him manipulative, or good for that matter. Anyways I'm rambling again.**

 **End Serious note.**

 **BlackPlasma out.**


	3. The Scar

**A/N: Sorry guys it took me two weeks to update. I was planning to update last week but things got in the way and I was forced to rush this chapter. First batch of exams has had me a bit stressed so there may be errors I didn't catch.**

 **I don't have a beta so if let me know if you find mistakes.**

 **Anyways, from the last chapter, I'm happy to see that there are two hundred new followers since last time and forty new reviews. I feel happy about that."**

 **Many of you also expressed concern of Harry being evil and torturing innocents. Do not worry, Harry will not be evil, he will be good but will have brutish tendencies later on in the story. He will not be torturing other innocent babies. Though later on torturing will come naturally to the characters that will be in the scene. Like a Death eater torturing someone else for information, Things along those lines. It will kind of stay along those types of character. Sorry if I scared someone.**

 **Chapter is like 8900k long.**

 **Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling**

 **On to the Story!**

* * *

 **The Rise**

 **Chapter 3: The Scar**

 **By BlackPlasma**

* * *

 **…**

He sighed. He longed for the cupboard under the stairs now. " _Of all the things! A bloody dragon…"_

His fingers ran through the wild and untamed mop he had for hair. He reached upon the fringe that covered part of his forehead and unconsciously rubbed the enigma hidden from the world.

That damn scar!

He had put his hand down and let out an exasperated sigh. His Aunt and Uncle always said it was from the car crash his parents had died. Now he knew the truth and couldn't help but instinctively clench his hand and release it. The scar would forever remind him of what was lost… no! Of what was taken from him! This Voldemort fellow was dead, he couldn't even avenge.

"Harry"

Both girls had long ended their conversation and Harry was brought to focus when Daphne had addressed him. Remembering the boy across from her, she couldn't help but wonder why he was such a quiet boy… so shy.

He had heard call out to him. His eyes had gone from staring out the window and instantly focused his attention directly to her eyes, blue eyes looked straight back at him.

"We should get ready soon and into our school robes…"

Daphne laid the hint by lingering, though judging by his expressionless face, he didn't catch on… boys were so stupid at times.

"Evening is approaching and well, we should put on our robes and be ready. Not sure how much longer we got"

Harry silently nodded his head agreeing with her.

Tracey giggled at him and gave him a cheerful smile.

"Harry she means that us girls need to change" She gave him a look and Harry nodded his head in understanding. It seemed that Harry wasn't stupid as either Crabbe he stood up, went to grab his pair of robes and headed out the compartment. Once he had closed it, Tracey had addressed Daphne.

"A little on the slow side is he? Ahh I should have messed with him a bit. I could have made him run out with a little teasing Daphne!

Tracey had let out a small laugh. She loved the reactions one could stir out of someone with a few well-placed words.

Daphne looked at the door where Harry had exited with a small frown.

"Did you notice?"

Tracey gave her confused look at her question.

Daphne guessed that she hadn't, after all it was due to sitting in front of him that she had noticed him spacing out, occasionally clenching his left fist every now and then.

"Never mind, it was probably nothing"

 _"And none of my business anyways"_

Tracey gave her a strange look but shrugged it off. It was time to change, and both girls made sure that the compartment door was locked. Daphne went to her trunk to grab her robe, Tracey did the same. It wasn't long before both were dressed in black robes, although taking long while dressing was an understatement coming from the girls.

Daphne addressed Tracey, wanting to talk about the events that had occurred earlier, Daphne saw through Traceys façade of being cheerful, she knew her friend suffered a low amount of self-esteem.

"Tracey are you feeling fine?" Tracey gave Daphne a confused look; she had a feeling where this was going, Daphne always forced her to shed light on her emotions. Perhaps she could play it off?

"Of course I am fine" she said with a flashy smile. Daphne gave her a long stare that made Tracey feel exposed, like she could see the lie through her smile. Daphne had the ability to read her and make her feel like she know every secret she had kept.

"Daphne quit staring, you're making me a bit uncomfortable"

"I know your lying to me Trace, what have I told you before?"

Daphne had let her stern look calm itself to one of concern

"Tracey about what Malfoy said, don't pay him any attention. He is an arsehole who can't do anything without dragging in his father. You know that. And the whole Pure-blood thing is pure gibberish, I keep telling you not to pay it any attention to it!"

Tracey's usual cheery nature turned a bit serious, only Malfoy could get her feeling so insecure. She was glad that she had Lord Greengrass watching out for her muggleborn mother within the Ministry. Her mother would never have landed the position of a Magistrate; Lucius Malfoy would have ensured it. It was only through Lord Greengrass that he had somehow kept Lucious Malfoy a bit weary of trying to get her mother out of the Ministry.

 _"I would have thought that someone of your status would associate yourself… with better acquaintances Greengrass_."

Draco's exact words had ringed in her head. She had looked at her shoes like she had before. Daphne eyed her, as her best friend it was her responsibility to never let her feel unworthy.

"Tracey look at me" Daphne immediately said after noticing her demeanor dampen, she would not see her best friend in a state of weakness. Tracey was above that in her eyes.

Slowly Tracey brought her eyes to meet with hers.

"Tracey you're my best friend. You know that don't you?"

Tracey's eyes went blank but still focused on her.

"Tracey, never ever believe that I would think of you beneath me. Don't pay attention to that arse, he would be laughing if he saw you like this, besides you have me" Daphne stepped closer to her and embraced her in a hug

"Your dear to me Tracey, I see you as my equal. Never forget that" she whispered to her ear. Tracey returned the hug even harder.

"I-I… thank you Daphne",

Daphne and her parents had ever seen her so weak and vulnerable… so pathetic. She returned the hug and went to sit down with a slight smile on her lips feeling a bit better about herself. Daphne stayed standing up.

"I think we have let Harry wait long enough, don't you agree?" she said to Tracey with a smile. Tracey blinked, she had forgotten about him for the moment.

"He's a bit quiet and strange don't you think?"

Daphne didn't answer her as she headed towards the compartment door to open it.

Daphne poked her head out the door and saw Harry standing looking out the window already dressed in his robe _._ When and where had he changed?

She shook of her thought before she addressed him "Harry were done" Harry upon hearing his name had turned back to face her and gave her a slight smile.

"Sorry we took a bit long, we girls have appearances to keep up" Daphne said with a grin. Harry gave a questioning look but said nothing. He walked into the compartment and retook his seat next to Tracey.

Daphne closed the compartment and also retook her seat. All inhabitants of the compartment shared comfortable silence for a few minutes until they were disturbed from a knock at the door.

Tracey groaned as she stood up to open the door. A girl with bushy hair and a book close to her chest stood there. "Yes?" Tracey addressed her. The bushy haired girl observed all the occupants in the room before she spoke up. "Yes, my names Hermione Granger. I'm helping a boy look for his lost toad. Have you seen it?"

Tracey looked back to Harry and Daphne. Daphne had recognized the girl from Diagon Alley. A mouthful this Granger girl was. She shook her head. Harry had mouthed a "no" and Hermoine looked like she wanted to ask something else but said nothing of it. "Very well, in case you do come across it, the boy looking for it is Nevile Longbottom. I see you are all in your robes already."

Daphne gave her a scowl at her attempt to make a bit of conversation. If she was still like she was in the bookstore, this girl would ramble them to death" The granger girl had immediately noticed and she bid them a good day and headed to the next compartment…. Tracey shut the door as she heard Hermione knock on the other compartment.

"Was that necessary Daphne?"

Daphne just shrugged and went back to starting out of the window, trying to find out why Harry was in such deep thoughts as he too looked out the window.

Darkness had overtaken the sky a short while later. The Stars had woken up it seemed. The conductors voice was heard in the compartment through a ball of light that appeared

"Train will arrive in about twenty minutes. Please be advised, all students who have yet to put on their uniform should do so immediately. Once we have arrived, please leave your luggage in the compartments, it will be collected and delivered afterword's."

The ball of light diminished and Harry had called out to Hedwig, who had flew back to the cage.

"I can't wait for Hogwarts!" Tracey said to the other two.

…

The train had docked, his dread never failed to decrease, lonely memories slowly chased toward the edge of forgetfulness as he looked towards the direction the express had arrived from; starlight twinkled from the voided sky and down the highlighted road of bad memories he planned to leave behind…

He turned to stand next to Daphne and Tracey.

"F'irst Years, All f'irst years! Over E're!"

Harry turned towards the voice

A man… no a beast of a man walked towards the group of eleven year olds that had started to gather around. A big coat was hugged to him, the nightly cold unmerciful to all, Harry clutched his robe tighter to his body, his unnourished body failed to provide him proper warmth. He looked towards the owner of the voice again.

"All f'irst years follow me" said the man who had turned back and walked down a trodden path. Harry mimicked the rest of the group and followed, the giant man's height and size easily distinguished him, no student need to worry about losing the group. He looked towards Daphne who walked close to him and Tracey, she noticed his linger and gave him a smile.

They had reached the edge of the lake; small boats awaited their arrival.

The man address all of them again "No more than four to a boat!"

Tracey grabbed him by the sleeve, nudging him to follow her while Daphne led them to an old and frail boat. She stepped into it, and had looked back to them expectantly.

Harry and Tracey had also gotten into the boat; it creaked as they put their feet in first and wobbled, it was obvious the thing was ancient. Someone else got in and Harry didn't look back to see who it was. His heart beat slowly rose again as the boat moved forward. Perhaps his corpse would lie in the bottom of the lake? The boat clearly seemed like it was about to fall apart.

He looked towards the water

Light emitted from the moon bounced off the sparkling water, green eyes stared back at him. He heard a gasp. From Tracey he assumed. He stopped staring at the quivering reflection and looked towards the object that caused his new friend to be robbed a breath.

The grand castle mounted the rocky terrain, moonlight showered its exterior, and it stood high and mighty reaching towards heaven. Its grand windows visible from afar. Its bridges not perfectly straight and melded stone from medieval times reminding all of its age. Its majestic sight caused many to stare flabbergasted, mouths ajared as air escaped.

 _"Hogwarts"_ He stared at the ancient castle. Conflicting emotions whirled throughout him like a hurricane. Joy, nervousness, and dread battled within him. He reached to pat his fringe as he had on the train.

 _"I can't hide it anymore"_

The boats stopped on the other side of the shore and a cavern greeted them. The beast of a man stood from his private boat, his hand was held out as he ignited a fire in a candle lamp. Light immediately banished the darkness and his young charges stepped out of the boats as he took the first step onto land.

"Er, follow me, d'is here cave should lead o'ward the front gate"

Harry kept silent as he listened on to the chatter of his future classmates. The red head boy he had seen at Kings Cross started babbling loudly.

"My brothers told me that you get sorted by a trial, you will have to face a troll and depending on if you charge head on, outsmart, befriend, or even kill the troll with dark magic, you will end up in the house that has the characteristics you displayed…"

Some of the students couldn't help but to turn their ear towards his direction, panic surged through all of them, Harry included. Daphne had noticed his worried face and scoffed at the red heads remarks.

"Don't worry Harry, he's an idiot, why would they put us to fight a troll when we have yet to learn a single spell. Surely you don't believe him? Or are you really that gullible?"

Blood rushed against gravity towards his cranium, he shook his head side to side sheepishly. How had he almost believed that? That sounded preposterous! An eleven-year being pitted to stand against a beast. The idea was ludicrous! If Professor McGonagall didn't mention such monstrosity, then surely the red head had been misinformed right? McGonagall seemed like a decent person to him, a bit stern, but decent from his first impression, she would have told him if something like that occurred in the school wouldn't she?

Tracey's reassuring smile had eased his worries.

They had entered the castle. The big man turned and faced all the students, his voice boomed from his proportional lung size.

"Up the stairs er'one! Professor McGonagall will be with you lot in a bit"

The small population had done so and walked up the stairs, he gasped as ghosts floated through the wall as had many others. He heard the red head speak up again to those around him after a few minutes.

"Anywhere but Slytherin would be fine, though I prefer Gryffindor. There wasn't a bad witch or wizard that hasn't been sorted in that house. Everyone going to Slytherin is bound to become a Dark Wizard, completely evil all of them. No doubt they will be learning Dark Magic. "

Harry didn't know where he would go, his escort in Diagon Alley had briefly mentioned how Hogwarts had operated. Apparently there where four houses to go into, she hadn't said much about them. Though should he really believe the opinion of Slytherin from this red head?

"Where do you think you will end up Daphne?" He heard his brown haired companion ask Daphne.

"I don't really know, most likely Ravenclaw or Slytherin, either will do fine. Do you have any preference?" She asked Tracey.

"I don't know either, you know that my fathers side has been predominantly Slytherin. I wouldn't mind carrying on that tradition. It would make father proud."

Daphne nodded her head; she looked to the raven head boy who had been looking around him, absorbing all that he saw. By the short time she had gotten to know him, she didn't know what to think of him. He was somewhat quiet and only spoke when spoken too. Or perhaps he was shy and timid, it seemed he was destined to go Hufflepuff or maybe even Ravenclaw? She looked back to the mahogany door in front of them all, she would have to wait and see.

Draco Malfoy had taken to the front facing all the students.

"Well… which of you is he, which one of you is Harry Potter!"

Everyone had looked at Draco in silence; some had slowly leaned towards students around them to whisper. No one addressed Draco directly except for the red headed loud mouth that seemed to snicker at him.

Harry heard the immediate whispers students said to one another when Draco had mentioned his name, though he only heard those nearby him.

 _Is it really true, is Harry Potter amongst us?_

 _no no no, its just a rumor surely someone would have spotted him_

 _I wonder what that scar of his scar looks like._

 _Heard he was being tutored by Merlin himself!_

He heard another group whispering

 _The Boy-Who-Lived at Hogwarts?!_

 _Were so lucky to be in the same year!_

 _He is coming right?_

 _I can't wait to see him!_

And another group

 _I don't believe he is coming_

 _Why not?_

 _He must be away from the continent battling rogue giants to keep us safe!_

 _I've read all about him you know. If he were here, what house do you think he would be in?_

 _The only house that houses the best of course, Gryff…_

Harry tuned out the whispers. Daphne and Tracey had given each other a look. They had also listened in on some of the whispers around them. Did they really sound like that on the train? Perhaps that was why Harry had gotten quiet and ignored them then?

The door had opened and Professor McGonagall had walked in. She had cleared her throat to Draco's back and he had instantly turned back to face her. She gave him a stern look and Malfoy had instantly re-joined the crowd. The group of eleven year olds went silent. She cleared her throat again.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term feast will begin shortly. Surely all you have come with aching stomachs after that train ride. Before you take your seats, you will go through the sorting ceremony where you shall be placed into your houses. Each house has produced extraordinary wizards and witches and each has a noble history. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw… and Slytherin."

She went on and explained that the houses would be like their families away from home, she had explained the house cup, and she had explained the house would be their lively hood for the next seven years. She turned back and opened the door. Leading the eleven year olds within the Great Hall.

Older students observed the younglings with calculated looks. They wondered who would be the new additions to their houses. Who possessed the characteristics to lay claim to their house?

Harry and many others had gasped at the ceiling, The night twinkled away.

"Its been bewitched, to look like the night sky, I've read about it in 'Hogwarts A History'" said the bushy haired girl from earlier, in a very bossy voice that had put Harry off. Her know-it-all tone annoyed many around her.

Tracey nudged him with her elbow as she walked next to him.

"Harry, promise us you'll keep talking to us no matter what house you might be sorted into. You've been great company"

Blood rose to his cheeks again before he nodded.

They had stopped in the front of the Great Hall, an old and torn hat sat pointedly on the stool. Wrinkled and plummeted years of existence was evidence in the antiquated looking hat. Slowly and surely it had stirred waking from its deep slumber, once again surprising many that night.

 _"_ _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me._

You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The students who had been seated into their respectful houses had clapped at the end of the now very much alive hat. Daunting that the most ancient of magics was able to replicate such intrinsic intelligence into nothing more than a mere hat.

Professor McGonagall had unrolled a piece of parchment in the form of a scroll.

"Now when I call your name, you shall come forth and I shall place the sorting hat on your head and you shall be placed into your houses. "

She had cleared her throat

"Abott, Hannah!"

…

He looked on with forested apprehension as the hat called out "Hufflepuff!". Prickles of needles ever gently kissed throughout his body.

He had let his mind roam, the clocked ticked and tocked, it felt like timed dragged on for him, five seconds felt like a minute, a minute felt like five minutes…

…."Davis, Tracey!"

His brown haired friend gave both him and Daphne an unsure smile. Harry watched her go sadly.

"Well this is it…" she walked towards the stool, students in front of her cleared out of her way as the group hanged mostly in the back.

McGonagall placed the hat on her head. She looked afraid; her face went through a series of emotions.

The hat wriggled and yelled out "Slytherin!"

She seemed pleased and hopped off the chair, she made her way towards the house under a serpent insignia and sat down. The students at that table had clapped politely.

…"Greengrass, Daphne!" She turned to look at him, and stared at him for a second, face devoid of any perceptional emotion. Harry gave her a smile and she walked up towards the stool. The hat was placed on her head. Where would his friend go?

"Slytherin!" the hat yelled out. She had gotten up and went to sit next to Tracey who had given her a quick smile. As with Tracey, the students in that table had clapped politely.

He stood alone

"…Hermoine Granger!"…

"Gryffindor!"… The house of lions had clapped with enthusiasm. She ran to her new house, pleased with her fate.

…"Longbottom, Nevil"

"Gryffindor!" the hat yelled out.

Harry stood with a stone expression on his face; they were getting close to the P's. Damn

"Draco Malfoy!"

The blonde hair arsehole from earlier had walked up confidently to the stool, his lips curled into a smug that Harry wished he could wipe off his face. He didn't know what exactly they boy was referring to in the compartment, but it didn't take much to know he was an arsehole. An arshole like Dudley.

The hat had barely touched the tips of blond hairstrand before it yelled out

"Slytherin!"

Harry paled, that was the same house that Tracey and Daphne had gotten sorted into! Surely they weren't that bad, they had been nice to him! How could they posses the same qualities as this jerk?

Harry never noticed that both girls had given each other a questioning look when Professor McGonagall had passed the J's.

Harry briefly paid attention when a boy named Nott had gone to Syltherin. A few others after that passed too. Then, it was like the past few hours slipped from his mind. Dread left him and he was filled with numbness. Nervousness did not register to his head. It was the moment of truth…

"Potter, Harry!"

The cheerful whispers throughout the great hall during the sorting had ceased immediately, blanketing the ambiance of noise. All eyes and ears had their focus on the group of first years –or what was left of them anyways-, scanning each and every male. They desired to see the great Boy-Who-lived, conqueror of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Apprentice to Merlin himself, and the Boy-Who-Tamed-Dragons –According to the 'Adventures of Harry Potter' of course-. Every housemate tried to spot who would move forward, who was Harry Potter in that group, WHO would be the lucky ones to receive him at their table?

Everyone hoped he would be placed between him or her. Any house that would receive him would have gained a noteworthy and already famous wizard. The defeater of You-Know-Who. And any house would bathe in his glory that night.

Harry's blood ran cold as if his heart had stopped beating. He needed to just take a single breath. He was in the middle of those who remained.

 _"Di-d did your parents ever read to you the 'Adventures of Harry Potter' before bedtime?"_ He remembered Tracey asking Daphne. He remembered the way they had spoken about him. He remembered his shock. He so desperately wanted to turn back, to go back to the Dursleys and just get the heck out of there, no one from this world had ever spoken with him and he already had nigh impossible expectations. He looked towards where his first friends had sat.

Daphne and Tracey were looking at the group as a whole. They looked on trying to get the first glimpse of the assumed hero.

Daphne looked with curiosity in her eyes. " _I guess the rumors where true. Though I expect an arrogance that rivals Malfoy."_

No one in the group had moved as she looked on, she didn't catch that Harry had quickly glanced in her direction. For the moment, she forgot Harry James.

The great hall did not dare draw a breath. Someone had stepped forward through the crowd. Her eyes widened when she had seen him move towards the stool. Tracey didn't believe her eyes, couldn't process who she had seen move forward. She let out a gasp as many others did in the Great Hall. Shocker

…

"Potter, Harry!" Professor had again yelled out.

 _"This is it"_

He stepped forward. The fellow first years who remained had noticed someone approaching from behind them. They had instantly moved out of the way and gaped at him like dead fish out of water.

'O'

Many looked up towards his foreheads only to be disappointed by hair hiding the scar beneath.

A red headed boy had grabbed him by his arm the same boy who had snickered at Malfoy. He looked like he was about to say something to Harry but Harry had instantly pulled his arm away fiercely. It reminded him like that creepy old man in the Leakey Cauldron who had grabbed him in the same manner. He walked on the steps and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head.

A voice had entered his mind.

 _"Hmm, difficult very difficult, plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind either. Hmm there's much loyalty to those who you already consider friends…"_

Harry had looked up; the hat was talking to him! The friends the hat had spoken of made him glance toward their direction. It looked like Tracey was still looking on at him with bewilderment. He didn't catch what the hat had kept whispering in his head.

 _"and … oh my goooodness! Such thirst to prove yourself! It seems you want to try your best to live up to expectations. My my, you are indeed surprising Mr. Potter, that's quite ambitious of you... Now the question is where. Shall. I. Put. You?"_

He looked towards the Slytherin table; he had noticed Malfoy there, though his friends where also there so he would at least know he wouldn't be alone would he?

The hat had sensed his doubt

 _"I would have thought Mr. Potter, that you would have learned not to judge a book by its cover judging by the abuse your Aunt and Uncle have put you through."_

Harrys eyes had widened in shock _"How did you kn…"_

 _"Know?"_ The hat had finished for him. _"I see everything Mr. Potter. It's all here in your head. There's no hiding it from me, though do not worry, I have sorted every single student who has ever walked these halls for the past millennia; I have seen many things in many minds. Know this Mr. Potter if it gives you comfort, everything I see will always remain confidential; the great four founders of this school ensured that. Now enough about that lets find where I shall put you, the Hall is starting to lose their patience, now where was I … ahh. Mr. Potter you can be great you know. Do you have any preference at all, any at all?_ Harry again thought back to what he had heard the red head say. Only Dark Wizards went to that house, though the boy was wrong about how he was sorted, was he wrong about Slythering as well? The hat picked up on his thoughts.

 _Slytherin is perceived as Dark Wizards by the other three houses. I have seen the minds of everyone there Mr. Potter, including your little friends. Let me tell you this, many in that house have good intentions, they have a drive that sets them apart, they want to excel so that they can become excellent Healers, Aurors, Professors, and much more. Though there are a few who have less than noble intentions so does every other house. Mr. Potter every house, there has never been at least one new student who did not have good intentions. Each house has fostered Darkness, though they don't like to admit it, especially Gryffindor"_

Harry listened intently to the hat, surely one bad apple wouldn't spoil the tree would it? He asked the hat his final question.

 _"Will I do well in Slytherin?"_

 _"Most definitely, YES! Slytherin will help you on the way to GREATNESS. NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT!_

The hat wriggled in excitement as it reached its decision. Everyone looked on with baited breaths; the professors leaned on in their chairs. Each head of house save for one, had their fingers crossed behind their backs, hoping luck would see the boy in their house.

Professor McGonagall stood taller; she was sure that the boy would follow his parent's footsteps. He would walk in the same common room that James and Lily Potter once walked in. Another lion in her house that she would guide for the next seven years, she would do her best to look after the boy. She never felt so honored! James and Lily would be so proud this day. She didn't even have to hint towards Gryffindor when she escorted him to Diagon Alley. She was about to point the boy to the Gryffindor table...

…"SLYTHERIN!"

It echoed throughout, eerie silence soon loomed upon the hall. Someone's goblet had hit the floor loudly as it too echoed. Harry looked up as Minerva McGonagall looked at him in horror, surprise and shock written on her face. No one said anything as Harry made his way to where his friends sat, Tracey was looking at him with amazement. Daphne also wore an expression of shock her mouth agape too, her control of her muscle expression be damned. She remembered something that was said on the train

 _"Its just you know, it's a bit hard to let go of a childhood fantasy. Just imagine if it were true Daphne. Harry Potter coming to save you while riding a dragon."_

 _Daphne smiled at her "It would be a nice fantasy fulfilled I suppose…"_

Harry looked on at her with bewilderment; her shocked face and mouth agape had instantly turned to rival a tomato he had once picked from his Aunts garden.

He was going to ask her if she was all right when he heard someone down the table.

After composing herself, Daphne immediately inspected Harry again in a new light. Her hands then clenched into a fist?

"We got potter… someone drawled out slowly then again with a different tone, the three other houses were shocked as someone from the Slytherin table yelled out "WE'VE GOT POTTER!" the table had instantly went from one of silence to one of loud celebrations and cheering. The other three houses looked on gob smacked. Heck even Malfoy looked to be joining in; Harry noticed he had sent a smug smile to the table carrying the lion insignia. Though Harry was quick to notice that some students in his table sent him a cold glare, especially from the ones who looked sixteen or seventeen. Though there were more welcoming looks given to him than cold ones in total.

He also heard the exact same voice that had talked about the troll test yell out from the group of first years waiting to be sorted "He must be a Dark Wizard!"

Snape watched the boy, he needed someone to smack him across the face as he watched his students cheer and act like bat shit crazy Gryffindors. He looked at Harry in confusion, he expected him to go to Gryffindor. Snapes face soon was expressionless, a most unexpected circumstance. Perhaps he might not take after his father? He would have to reserve judgment for now…

McGonagall had collected herself from shock as she continued on, though not completely as she had stuttered the next name.

It seemed no one else had paid as much attention to the sorting after that. Of course there was polite clapping but all thoughts were on Harry Potter.

What the hell did the sorting hat say?

A boy that was sitting next to Harry addressed him as he stuck out his hand.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Harry Potter. My name is Montague, Graham Montague. "

Harry retuned the gesture politely, though the older boys last name seemed like he had heard it from somewhere. Definitely during primary school he assumed. Was it from an excerpt he had read somewhere?

"Montague? I feel like I've heard that somewhere before?"

Graham Montague beamed at him. "Have you ever heard the story of Romeo and Juliet? The muggle love tale?" Harry didn't even know if that was indeed where the excerpt had come from.

"Well in case you have, the main male character is a Montague. It goes way back, he was actually a real person and came to Hogwarts around five hundred years ago. He was a Slytherin who fell in love with a Gryffindor named Juliet. Though it eventually didn't work out and they broke up." The boy continued. Harry gave him his attention, as did Tracey across from him when she recovered from her shock.

"At the time, the Slytherin and Gryffindor rivalry wasn't as bad as it is now. Though I suppose back then it did raise a few eyebrows but nothing major like today. Anyways, a boy in Ravenclaw by the name of William Shakespeare seemed to get inspiration when he had caught them sneaking out to meet each other. In fact, the scene where Romeo meets Juliet at her window really happened, though not as exact in the peom. My ancestor flew a broom up towards the castle where the Gryffindor common room was and told her a poem while she peered out though her dormitory window, it's rather an embarrassing story for my family. Anyways, Shakespeare at the time was a prefect, which is why he would go looking for them because he knew they were sneaking out and about the castle. That's where the inspiration of Romeo and Juliut came from. Though Shakespeare did make it extremely dramatic in the end. My family doesn't really appreciate that…."

"W-Woah!"

Both Harry and Graham had turned around and looked at Tracey who had immediately blushed at being caught eavesdropping, being half-blood, she was definitely aware of Shakespeare stories. She looked at her empty plate with pink cheeks. Harry was about to ask him a question though he didn't get to it as the sorting hat interrupted him mid sentence.

"Slytherin!" the hat had called out. It seemed a dark skinned boy was the last to get sorted, and had went to sit next to Harry.

Dumbledore rose from his golden throne.

He cleared his throat as he addressed the student populace.

"Welcome back to those of you returning for another fascinating year here at Hogwarts and congratulations to those of you who have been sorted into your new houses. Don't forget to introduce yourselves to your new housemates. Make as many friends as you can!" Dumbledore paused with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Before we begin our feast, I had planned a few short notices to make, though I will make it after we are all fed and watered, after all I'm sure you all don't want this fossil to keep babbling away. For now… Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Harry looked at the headmaster with confusion, "Is he mad?" he asked to no one in particular.

"He has been like that for …awhile from what my parents have told me" Tracey had answered Harry, though she had quickly averted her eyes to the food that had appeared from thin air. Harry looked down the table and found it filled with variety of edibles. His stomach rumbled with loud ferocity, the preteens had to eat something else other than candy after all.

He reached for a chicken leg and dug in. So did many of those around him. He looked up to see that Tracey was eating as well, occasionally stealing glances at him, when he had caught her she had immediately returned to her food with a pink face. He looked towards Daphne, who had seemed to be eating chicken as well though she had noticed him looking at her. Unlike Tracey, she shot him an ice-cold glare. Harry's eyes had widened. This was a completely new demeanor compared to the one she had in the train! What the heck do he ever do to her?! He came up with a theory, and he didn't like it.

He went back to munch on his dinner… hot blazing pain shot throughout his skull, it had felt like someone was stabbing at him with a knife to his scar. The pain pounded away as if it had been a jackhammer with a knife on the end. His chicken had fallen out of his fork and fallen to his plate with a clad; he immediately went to rest his hand on the pained area with a gasp.

Just as the pain had appeared, it had immediately receded when he looked up towards the head table. A man in greasy hair kept looking at him, studying him almost.

"Alright there Harry?"

"Its nothing I'm fine" He replied to Graham Montague who looked at him with a blank face, clearly he didn't believe him.

"Say, Graham, who is that man over there, the man talking with the one wearing a tunic on his head?"

Montague had looked up to see whom he was referring to. His eyes landed on his head of house.

"Well, that's Professor Snape, our head of house. He is also the Potions Professor. Whatever you do, don't get on his bad side. He is harsh on the Gryffindors but he could be just as harsh to us in the common room."

Harry nodded his head and resumed his meal; he finished his chicken and the side dishes on his plate. It seemed that the finished dishes had immediately disappeared and reappeared with dessert. He grabbed the nearest thing towards him. It was a pie of some sort. Hell, he didn't care what it was exactly; he rarely got to eat dessert at the Dursleys. He put the slice on his plate and took a bite.

His eyes had shot wide, never before had he tasted such a pie. The flavor had exploded in his mouth, it blanketed over his taste buds sending him on momentary bliss. His brain shuddered at such ecstasy from the flavor itself, heavenly and almost divine.

He quickly ate his slice, he went to grab another…. and another… and …

"Calm. Down. _POTTER_!"

Daphne hissed his last name. "You're going to finish all the treacle tart by yourself you selfish bastard! Daphne shot him another cold glare. He had hidden his name from them and It was embarrassing that she and Tracey had been talking about fantasies that involved the Boy-Who-Lived. The bastard didn't even say anything, how humiliating! She was a Greengrass! Heir presumptuous to an Ancient and respected house. Never had she been so embarrassed before. And by a boy no less! She had reached across the table and grabbed a treacle tart. Tracey immediately followed and grabbed the last one.

Harry looked on in horror as Daphne ate her slice. She avoided his look and ate the delicacy as slowly as she could. As she finished, she reached for her napkin and gently dabbed her mouth. She put it down and glared coldly at Harry again.

Harry felt a little terrified; he had some clue to what she was pissed about.

Tracey had looked at the exchange in silence; Daphne rarely acted the way she was currently was, she had seen her act like that a few times. She had a good clue as to what had set her off. She looked at Harry and gave him a small but sad smile. She had yet to touch her treacle tart, she cut it in half and handed the other half to Harry. Immediately Daphne's hand had shot out and grabbed Tracey's wrist stopping her. Daphne grabbed the plate with the half sliced treacle tart and put it right in front of her. Daphne then tapped the shoulder to the girl next to her.

"Hi Millicent, Tracey is full over here and doesn't have room for the rest of this delicious treacle tart. It hasn't been touched although it was cut in half. We can't finish it. It be a shame if went to waste, after all, it seems to be the last bit of it."

The big girl had looked at the piece with drool, she looked to Tracey for any sign of disproval, and she gave none. Millicent happily agreed and downed the Treacle Tart in one gulp.

Harry looked on to Daphne, An expressionless mask covered her features as she looked back at him challengingly. Tracey looked down in her plate sadly.

Graham Montague had looked at the entire scene with confusion. It be better if he stayed away. That Greengrass girl looked like she was killing the boy sitting next to him with her eyes.

Thankfully the rest of the table had been too busy eating and talking about what they did over the summer, no one had noticed except maybe for the boy who had sat next to Harry on the other side. The dark skinned boy seemed to also be wise and pretend he didn't see what was going on. They were interrupted as the food had disappeared, leaving all tables clean. Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Ahh, now that we are all fed and watered, I would like to make the last of todays announcements. First off, to all first years, the forbidden forest is well… forbidden. All students make sure to remember it. "

Dumbledores eyes quickly flashed over to a pair of red headed twins in the Gryffindor table.

He continued "Mr. Filch has also asked me to remind you that some items, especially from Zonkos joke shop are strictly forbidden." He again looked towards the twins in the Gryffindor table. "If you would like to know more, Mr. Filch has a full list outside his office. Also to note is that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death…" he lingered on the last few words and everyone –save most older years who had rolled their eyes- looked at him with a frightened look.

"Now all of you off to bed. Prefects please escort your houses to their common rooms." Every one in the great hall stood up, a fifteen-year-old girl and boy with a badge with the letter "P" next to their house insignia had walked towards the end of the table. The girl had looked down the table "Alright, everyone follow us"

Harry followed the group. He stayed close to Tracey and Daphne to make sure he didn't get lost, though it seemed Daphne wanted him to stay away from her. Tracey again gave him another small but sad smile.

He should have told them from the start his surname was Potter and not James. Though it wasn't a complete lie, James really was part of his name!

He continued to follow, his group seemed to be heading downstairs as the other three houses headed up. He was a bit freaked out by the changing stairs. Has anyone ever fallen off?

They continued to walk and eventually the smooth floor had turned dark like stone. The walls were illuminated by torches as they had entered the dungeons. Eventually they had reached a blank stone wall. The female prefect stood forward and turned back. She addressed the first years.

"To those of you who are new, this is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. It is protected by a password that is changed every fortnight so be sure to check the notice board every once in a while. You wouldn't want to sleep out here would you? Lying on the cold hard stone without anything to warm yourselves for an entire night, there is the occasional ghoul running around." The first years gulped while the older ones seemed to snicker.

"Good, now this entrance is secret and should only be known to Slytherins. Never give the password to any student from another house. Ever!"

She turned to the wall.

"Now the first Password is obvious, it wont ever be this obvious again, this is just so you first years can settle in. The password is 'Snake Hatchlings' "

The wall had immediately slid backwards; it had rotated in a three sixty rotation side ways and then slid into the wall. Everyone entered the common room; it was warmer than the dungeons and green lights illuminated the room. Big leather couches were on one side of the room while the other had big desks. On the other side, was a big wall with the serpent insignia. Seven doors where on each side of the wall. Each door had been one level higher than the previous one; stairs were appropriately aligned to each. The girl from earlier interrupted again.

"Now then, boys on the left and girls on the right. Everyone line yourselves up by your years, seventh years in the back and first years in the front. First year boys and girls should be facing each other."

Harry got in line, a boy with brown hair slicked back stood next to him and on the other side stood the dark skinned boy from the feast. Zabini if he had heard correctly and Nott, the boy sorted just after one of the girls in his year. Porkinson's or something like that.

He had noticed that Daphne and Tracey were on the opposite side of him. Daphne paid him no attention. As if she never saw him before. Her anger replaced by indifference.

The girl who had lead them all stood in the front. She had a serious look to her face, before she seemed to soften up a bit as she addressed the first years.

"I'm Prefect Gemma Farley, and I welcome you to the great house of Salazar Slytherin! As our common rooms lie in the dungeons the windows have been enchanted to look out into the depths of the Hogwarts Lake.

Unfortunately, the other houses will fear you due to rumors and myths, none of them good that has isolated the house of Slytherin.

First of all, forget everything you have heard. We do not practice the Dark Arts in training to become the next Dark Lord. Though there are a few books on that subject in the library if you're interested…."

Her eyes twinkled a bit as she gave a smirk, was she serious or messing around with them?

"Though if you prove yourself then I am sure our head of house will allow for you to go into the restricted section. Though you won't find how to cast Dark curses, there are books that have general information on them so you know how to defend yourself if you are ever in that situation…

Anyways, First years make sure to stick in groups for your first year at least. Any lone Slytherin wondering about alone is easy prey for the other houses, especially a pair of twins from Gryffindor. Stay away from Peeves he will make sure that you sound like your up to no good. Whether that's the case or not, well…" She didn't finish that statement.

"We are the best house, we have won the house cup continuously over the past few years. We expect that tradition to keep going. The other houses believe the rumors about Slytherin and so you can automatically assume that they are all weak minded, think about it, it doesn't take much for their feeble brains to be indoctrinated by petty rumors. We Slytherins can be hard to control from outside forces, its what makes us the best.

Oh, and please make sure that you don't ask the Bloody Baron how he got… bloodied, he doesn't take too kindly to that."

Last thing, first years note that your dormitory will be shared by all of you, however it will change as the school years come and go. Eventually you will have private rooms in your seventh year. That is all. Come to me if you have any questions or any other student above fourth year. If you need to know something we might know it.

"Excellent Speech Gemma" a new voice said. Everyone turned towards the entrance of the common room. A man with a weird nose and a cape billowing behind him approached the entire group.

"Like Gemma has so elegantly put it, the other houses will fear you. To them you are all just filthy evil snakes waiting for the ripe moment to seize power… Fifth years, note that I will be doing review lessons years one through four to prepare you for your O.W.L.S., keep an eye on the notice board."

"First Years, I am your head of house Severus Snape. Like Gemma has said, stick together and go to your classes in groups. Take your studies seriously and you shall be rewarded. Though I don't expect everyone of you will do that" He quickly glanced towards Malfoys two cronies'.

"And…. Ah yes" He had stopped in front of Harry; his black eyes stared into his own green ones.

"Harry Potter. Our. New. Celebrity…" Snape lingered a few seconds after each word as his hand reached towards his forehead, his wand had gently brushed away the fringe covering his forehead. As he was standing in front of most females across from him, he saw that each pair of eyes had instantly left his face and focused on his forehead, where his now exposed scar greeted them all. He eyed Tracey and Daphne, the brown haired girl seemed to have been trying to memorize the shape, and Daphne had only looked at it for a second, her curiosity replaced her previous anger. She looked straight into his eyes and gave him a blank expression."

Snape moved on. "Let me be clear that no one here will be given special privileges regardless of who they are… I expect each one of you to visit me at least once every three weeks so that I know how you are doing in your classes. Third years, I will also be making sure that none of you take too many or too little electives, I wouldn't want you to be performing at a level that jeopardizes the house cup. I want it again this year and you can bet that I will be making sure that the other heads of houses know that Slytherin has the best and brightest. Breakfast is at seven a.m. Off to bed All .Of .You."

The Prefects had immediately led the first years to their dormitories; they had the one at the bottom of the stairs. As they walked towards their dormitories, Harry gave one last look to Daphne and Tracey. Tracey gave him a good nights wave while Daphne pretended she didn't see Tracey do that. He sighed.

As Harry entered the Dormitory, he found that his trunk was already in one of the four-poster beds along with Hedwig. He immediately unlocked her cage, and she gratefully flew onto his shoulder. She then…flew out the window? He blinked. He thought the windows where just reflecting the image outside. Guess he was wrong, it seemed there was a lot more to magic that meets the eye. He was hurled out of his musings as a voice addressed him.

"Why didn't you say who you were in the grand stair case and in the train Potter?"

Harry turned back to see who had addressed him and he almost groaned out loudly. It was Malfoy, Damn; he almost forgot he was also in the same house. It was going to be a long night before he went to bed.

…

 **A/N: What you think? Honestly found this chapter hard to write for some reason. Maybe it's just the stress with everything going around my life at the moment. Don't really know.**

 **Daphne doesn't take too kindly to being embarrassed; an eleven-year-old girl would feel humiliated in that situation right? I have no idea. XD, Though you can see the difference between Traceys and Daphne's personality. I always thought Daphne to be a strong willed witch from the many Haphne fics I have read.**

 **I can understand that in canon why Harry became friends with Ron, however I don't understand how that was maintained throughout the books. I always felt Ron held Harry back.**

 **New information on the Potter family in Potter more. I will certainly be making use of that in the future. So Harrys Grandparents are Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. Im going to give them the middle names of Charlus and Dorea respectively in this fic.. I found that it's a comfortable counterbalance to the new names and gives many of you a sense of familiarity if you have read many fics with Dorea and Charlus being Harrys GrandParents.**

 **As always tell me your thoughts, suggestions, and flames. They are all equally accepted. Sorry for rambling a bit. Thank you to all the new followers that have subscribed to the story for more. It means a lot. Reviews appreciated and thanks to you all.**

 **Until Next time**

 **BlackPlasma out.**


	4. A Deviation

**Hello. Sorry for the late update. Lagrange multipliers have not been kind to me. Chapter is 9k long.**

 **I have no beta. Mind the Errors.**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter and it's Characters.**

 **On to the story!**

* * *

 **The Rise**

 **Chapter 4: A Deviation**

 **By BlackPlasma**

* * *

 **...**

Harry could of groaned out loudly as he heard Malfoy's voice, how could he have almost forgotten about that boy? Something about the boy irked him, was it the way he carried himself? Or perhaps the two cronies that followed him that reminded him of Dudley and his pig-headed-mindless drones? This Malfoy fella was unafraid of his action if the incident earlier in the train was anything to go by, as if his opinion was the only… That was it! The tell-tell sign's were clearly evident; Harry couldn't help but tense his fingers closer to the median of his palm, hand balled into a fist. This boy was _exactly_ like Dudley, _"My Father…"_ he had said. Spoilt and clearly believing himself to be a figure of superiority through his father… like Dudley the boy who would occasionally beat him with _Harry Hunting_ , the boy who made sure he wasn't befriended by anyone in primary, the boy who always went to his father when he couldn't get his way… just like Dudley, this boy was a bully.

"Well Potter, I asked you a question, why didn't you say who you were! I must've looked like some _fool_ out there in the grand stair case!" the boy in question declared feeling furious that Potter thought himself too good to even disclose who he was.

Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott had been standing to the side of the dormitory putting their trunks away and fishing for their night clothes when they had heard Draco speak. Both boys were trying to lay claim to a four posted bed and they had stopped their due process and watched onto the scene in silence, anxious to the scene in front of them.

Harry looked towards the blond boy annoyed that he wouldn't have a quiet first night. He should have known after all, drama would always find him wouldn't it? Stalking like a shadow under the rays of the golden light in the oceaned sky, a predator that seemed to taken a liking specifically for him unyieldingly. Fucking drama

"Look here, Draco was it? First of all, I don't know who you are, and secondly why should I disclose who I am? It would have made no difference anyway, you wouldn't have been the only student trying to talk to me." Harry blinked, surprised he had said that, it sounded almost arrogant. Well whatever… he wanted to turn in for the night.

Draco stared at Harry, like the rest of the populace he had been surprised when the quiet boy in the train had walked towards the sorting hat, he looked like a lost puppy. Either way, he was ever so pleased that such a known wizard was placed in Slytherin, it was the best house after all.

He wasn't amused at being ignored though, perhaps he should look it over… this one time. He needed this boy on his side, and his influence would only be stronger then and unhindered. He took step forewords and offered his hand. He would try to not to offend the boy any further.

"I'm willing to overlook earlier events, perhaps we can start over, after all a person of your caliber should be acquainted with the correct sort." Draco said with his outstretched arm and looked at Harry expectantly.

"What do you mean with the correct sort?"

Draco looked back at him with his piercing grey eyes, didn't Potter know? Oh how could the Boy-Who-Lived not know who the best allies for him were? Surely he wasn't raised by muggles! …. Was he?

"The girls in the train Potter! How can you associate yourself with such filth! Beneath you they are, you shouldn't keep such company around you, they will brainwash you with muggle loving ideas."

The fury swept through his viens as he stood there hearing his friends being regarded as such lowly individuals, how DARE he call them filth! He wasn't exactly sure what exactly muggle loving was, but to hell with it, no one insulted the people who showed him kindness, he didn't care that Daphne had acted like a pampered spoilt brat earlier at the feast, surely that was just her reaction to being lied to right? After all, he didn't like being lied to either; His anger rose even more when the blond prat looked at him with a sincere smile, taking his silence as agreement, what the blond said next confirmed him onto Harry's dislike list for the next few years.

"I can help you there… Potter."

Help? Help?! He could have laughed right then and there, no doubt the blond would have taken offence, this boy had the audacity to insult the first people he considered friends and yet claimed he can help him? Ha! Preposterous!

"I think I can tell the right _sort_ for myself thanks." Draco's extended hand stayed in its position, unreciprocated.

Draco's eyes had widened before he scowled and withdrew his arm and scowled.

"You'll regret that _Potter._ " Harry stared him in the eye unflinchingly, stood proudly and did what he never could with Dudley, stand defiantly. He could take it when the insults where thrown at him or even when he was beaten, but to insult those who treated him like human being. No, that was where he drew the line.

Draco said nothing further and retreated to the other side of the room and prepared his bed and Harry did the same. The atmosphere was so thick it could have been cut through by the flick of a wand.

Soon Harry laid down in his bed, he had just now noticed that he had Nott and Zabini on either side of him. Zabini layed under the blankets in such a way that only Harry could see his face, before the lights went out, he saw the dark skin boy stare at him, almost calculating before he smirked slightly and moved his arm closer to his face to give Harry a hand gesture, Zabini shot him a thumbs up before he tossed himself the other way and fell asleep.

Harry Blinked…

…

Harry slowly lifted his eyelids as the golden sphere assaulted his face, looking out the window across from him he couldn't help but smile. Golden rays of the light drenched the horizon with pink stained clouds from the end of the black lake, birds took to the sky's and soared with their younglings, creatures from the depths of the black lake jumped out the water greeting the heavenly sun. It was a glorious sight.

He rubbed his eyes as he sat on his bed and looked around the dormitory, the others where still asleep. He must have woken up really early.

He got out his robes and went to prepare himself for the day. Thankfully, the dormitory had an attached washroom, stepping through the mahogany door, he quickly went to shower, dried and brushed his teeth afterwords. The long warm shower had felt alien to him, it was relaxing. His _dearest_ Aunt and Uncle made sure he would shower quickly; wasting the water was a big no no to his relatives. Dudley had to be well cleaned after all.

He stepped out and back into the dormitory to put on his robes. Black with green trimmings and a serpent insignia above his left breast. He had noticed the rest of his year begin to wake, he didn't say anything and went to the common room. There where a few students roaming about chatting with their fellow mates, he noticed the prefect from the night before, chatting it up with some older Slytherin boy, she caught his stare and sent him a smile. The boy talking to her followed her gaze, though he didn't give any smile nor one of coldness, instead he ignored him and quickly chatted up Gemma again, her attention instantly back to the boy.

He was going to make his way out the common room before he had felt someone lay their hand on his shoulder.

"Didn't know you were an early riser too Harry… and good morning."

Harry turned back as the hand slowly retreated, and he caught the face of a boy with dark hair.

"Oh, Hello Graham, you nearly startled me there, and uhh good morning to you too." Harry wasn't familiar with being greeted in the morning… Another testament and proof that his world had changed.

"So you're heading to the great Hall right now too?" Graham asked, Harry nodded.

"Great, I'll show you your way there, though I am waiting here for a fellow third year friend of min- ah there he is."

A boy with black hair and eyes approached the duo, like Graham, the boy cleaned up well and was ready to start the day.

As the boy met the two, Graham had instantly introduced the two to each other. "Harry, this is a friend of mine. Bole, Lucian Bole. And Lucian, this is-"

"-Harry Potter" the boy said. "Everyone knows who you are." He extended his arm, though not in the smug way that Draco had, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance… though Potter mind me for seeming a bit rude but any idea why our head of house seems to dislike you? Last night was completely random, never seen him in such a mood. Thought he was going to curse you when he pointed his wand out, very _dramatic_ of him."

Harry took his hand and shook it and shrugged, indicating he was as clueless as he was. "Have no idea. First time I've met him."

Lucian gave him a raised eyebrow.

The trio had started to chat for a bit, likes, dislikes and soon they started to head out the common room. Harry noticed Tracey and Daphne emerge from their dormitory on the other side of the common room, Tracey emerged with her arms outstretched as she yawned and Daphne stood next to her, though she wasn't expressive as Tracey, but her eyes did indicate she was still half asleep.

Daphne turned her eyes and caught the boy looking at her as he headed out with two older boys who where chatting about. For the briefest of moments, light sapphire had met emerald. She didn't give him any hostile look or one of acknowledgment. He turned back and followed the third year boy's out the common room.

They soon arrived at the Great Hall and the smell of bacon, eggs, pastries and more assaulted their noses. The sweet morning aroma was thick enough that they would be able to have a taste by just sticking out their tongue. He sat down as both the other two boys had, Graham sat in the same area they were in from the night before, though to Harry it seemed coincidence.

"Our head of house seems to loath you for some reason Harry. As Lucian said, last night was well… unexpected, never seen Snape act like that" was the quiet drawl from Montague as he reached for some nearby eggs and bacon, "I though he was about to curse you too when he pointed his wand at you, never seen that happen."

Harry's first opinion of Snape? The man was a freaking arse! Did he really have to expose his scar to the whole damn house?! Even more attention to him, GREAT! BLOODY FANTASTIC! Just what he needed, and that whole _celebrity_ thing, what the bloody hell?

He placed some eggs and sausages on his plate and stabbed the slab of meat, Daphne seemed to turn a one-eighty on him, the pampered brat with the blond hair had threatened him, and his head of house put a sign above his head saying _please watch me!_ The night before had been well, dramatic, was the wizarding world so focused on him that they would even watch him wipe his arse? Suffice to say, he didn't bother hiding his scar anymore, all pretenses of going incognito had gone down the loo.

Soon students filled out the Great Hall, he couldn't help but feel the gazes on his back, he didn't know how but he could _feel_ it. The eyes, the lingering.

A he continued to eat, Harry hadn't realized that someone had sat across from his table until he was addressed by her familiar voice "Good Morning Harry." Looking up, he made eye contact with chestnut, the color slowly reigning recognition as the brown met the green.

Looking up from his egg filled plate he couldn't help but at least let some of the hotness he felt throughout his body recede… a little bit.

"Uhh Hi Tracey, good morning to you too."

Students had filled out the hall, new and old students talked excitedly about the classes and the incoming school year, the professors were talking animatedly as well. He heard a few whispers hear and there from the table near by. Older students informed the new ones on the personalities of each professor and what they could expect. It seemed Flitwick was a favorite.

Paying attention back to the girl in front of him, he couldn't help but notice that she was giving a glance between him and-Daphne, he didn't notice her take a seat next to Tracey. They seemed close after all, un-seperatable even. Daphne's blond hair fell loosely to her midback.

She gave him no look of malice. She seemed… calculating?

He was brought out of his thoughts as a piece of parchment was placed on the side of his plate and goblet.

"Your time-table Mr. Potter."

He looked up to meet the eyes of his head of house, coal black eyes stared into him, Snape said nothing as he reached his arm across the table to hand other pieces of parchments to Daphne and Tracey. Snape turned to him and gave him one last look before he walked down the table, his robe worshiping the ground in which he walked. He turned to the piece of parchments and roamed his eyes over it. It seemed that the first class he would be attending was History of Magic, followed by Charms and then a break along with lunch. Herbology was thereafter and he could call it in for the day. He asked Graham for the time, and the boy pulled out some weird device. He didn't get a real good look but was able to notice it was similar to the clock that Aunt Petunia had, only difference was that instead of numbers and such, the thing had planets and different shades of the moon during the night sky. How the hell did one read that?

"Its about to be seven thirty Harry, I should be off, first class is Transfiguration and that's in fifteen minutes for me, everyone knows there's hell to pay if your late to McGonagall's class. Best be off, see you later Harry and good luck." He stood along with Lucian Bole and the duo made their way towards the entrance door of the Great Hall.

Harry looked back towards the two girls in front of him and observed them. Tracey seemed surprised and aloof the night before though this morning she kept giving him a smile, though the same couldn't be said for Daphne, such a shame, she seemed like a nice girl? Perhaps he should apologize? Maybe. He was in a bad mood as it was. He was forced out of his thoughts as someone sat right next to him.

Blaise Zabini give him a smirk, though Harry couldn't for the life oh him figure out why, was this about last night? After all the boy had given him a thumbs up that was visible him only.

"Hello, Blaise Zabini, it's a pleasure"

Harry eyed the dark boy carefully. "Harry Potter" he shook the boys hand, he couldn't be that bad could he? He seemed like he wasn't fond of Malfoy for whatever reason, nor did give any vibe of superiority. He seemed all right in Harry's book. He was about to ask him about last night but Tracey interrupted him before he could, "Harry I think we should go, I know class starts in another thirty minutes but it doesn't hurt to be early does it? Plus this castle is huge! If we get lost, we at least have the spare time to find our way back." She turned to Blaise and stretched out her hand, "Blaise was it? feel free to join us." Blaise nodded his head and he shook her hand. Blaise introduced himself to Daphne and she did the same.

The group of four stood up and made their way out of the Great Hall. Harry walked next to Daphne who was quiet. When he caught her eye, she had immediately darted her eyes to the floor. As the group walked around the castle, Harry once again couldn't help but be flabbergasted about the moving staircases as they were moving up the stairs. The staircase decided to repurpose a new path for the third time. "Oh for the love Merlin, how the heck do we make it stay still?" Tracey said as she led them.

Blaise shrugged in response "Maybe we try and find a different path?"

"That's going to take forever!" exclaimed the impatient girl. Blaise just looked at her and gave her a slight smile. "Well it's a good thing we left early after all if we get lost, we got the time to find our way back" he said carefully, throwing Tracey's words back at her. Tracey gave him a slight glare.

The group continued their walk, occasionally speeding up the staircases so the blasted thing didn't move on its own again. It would have to take some getting use to. As they walked through, they couldn't help but ask for a bit of help from a Asian girl with blue trimmings on her robe, she looked only a year older than them. "Excuse me but can you point us to the History of Magic classroom?" Blaise had asked.

The girl stared at the group and her eyes quickly flickered over to Harry. How could it not? After all, he was the topic of conversation in the Ravenclaw common room the night before. "Umm, the History of Magic classroom… is on the first floor." She had said.

They were currently on the fourth floor. All four first years, especially Tracey just looked at the Ravenclaw blanky. Tracey's face flushed pink, she was the one who was leading them after all, Daphne took a friendly jab at her. "Good job Tracey, you have a very _keen_ sense of direction. Though I suppose we are all at fault as well since we didn't bother to check on which floor the room was." Tracey's cheeks flushed even deeper before she turned back and started to head back down the grand staircase. The group did so and the Ravenclaw girl watched with amusement as the group of four retreated and headed the way in which they had come from. Cho Chang shook her head and continued on her way, her thoughts on the green-eyed boy everyone had been talking about.

As they finally roamed through the first floor, they spotted their destination. Another group of first years that they had recognized from the sorting stood outside the door, though as they approached, the group couldn't help but notice the whispers.

"Is that _him_? Next to the blond one?"

"Yea, I think it is! The one with the glasses right?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

"Wicked."

Harry found himself feeling uncomfortable as the group outside the classroom were trying to steal glances at him, some were even tiptoeing to get good look at him; Harry went straight to the door and wondered if it was locked since everyone was outside in the corridor. Twisting the handle, he found it to be unlocked and quickly slipped inside. Tracey, Daphne, and Blaise quickly followed in after him. He went to take a seat.

Luckily the tables seated four students and the group was able to fill one out. Within the next ten minutes the class was nearly full, Draco and his two goons along with the other boy in their year walked in. It seemed that this first class was between the Slytherins and the Hufflepuffs.

A man slowly glided _through_ the wall and Harry's eyes went wide as well as most of the students, the ghost continued to float over to the front of the room and started the lesson immediately.

"Welcome to Hogwarts and to your first class. I am Professor Binns and this is the first year in History of Magic, I don't bother with roll call. We will begin at once. Now in five-hundred B.C….

Harry spent the next hour and a half listening to the slow monotone voice of the ghost, the Professor had sounded almost bored, like he was reciting the lesson for the fifth hundred time. His slow wheezy voice made Harry feel like his eyelids were getting a bit heavier with every passing minute, fifty minutes in and he couldn't take the drowsiness any longer and let his eyelids fall. Comfortable darkness consumed him for the next twenty minutes.

He woke as someone gently jabbed him on his ribs, he looked over to see Daphne looking at him tiredly, looking around he found that he wasn't the only one who let sleep overtake them, it seemed like half the class had their forehead glued to the desks and the other half struggling to stay awake. Daphne seemed to have been awake the whole time if her parchment filled notes was any indicator, though it seemed as if it was a hard battle, the last few paragraphs of notes seemed to be written rather sloppily. They were soon dismissed ten minutes after.

He saw Daphne shake Tracey awake. She woke with a yawn and then blinked. "You fell asleep Tracey, Half the class did. I almost did too." The blond said to her brown haired friend. Tracey stretched her arms slowly nodding dumbly before she picked up her stuff, it seemed she was able to make it at least halfway, her parchment was filled halfway with notes until it had stopped abruptly, no doubt marking where she succumbed to sleep.

"That was the worst first experience ever, when did I pass out Daph?"

Daphne gave her friend a slight smile, "I think sometime around the Goblin-Wizard treaty of 342 B.C? Or …."

…

The first week went by slowly for Harry and thankfully, the whispers from the student populace slowly subsided throughout the week, Malfoy passed him a sneer in the common room and occasionally in class. All in all, it wasn't a bad week, though he had been placed in an odd situation in charms class. While taking roll call, Professor Flitwick let out a squeak when he had reached Harry's name during roll call and promptly fell backwards from the textbooks in which he stood. Suffice to say, it was a rather awkward period.

Transfiguration was another topic of interest, he had struggled a bit with the transfiguration of a needle, though he managed to get it right before the end. The only others to do so successfully was the Granger girl with the bossy and borderline overbearing voice. The other being Daphne, Though she had told Harry that her mom would let her borrow her wand after she had gotten her schoolbooks. Now that she could use her own wand, she was able to transfigure the needle after a few tries.

As Harry stood outside the potions room, he couldn't help but think of Daphne's rather odd behavior the past week. His first conversation with Malfoy during the first night had left him in a bad mood and frankly, didn't ever bother apologizing, if she was going to be acting in such a way during the feast then so be it, he wasn't going to put up with that attitude. However occasionally sensed her looking at him from the corner of his eye, and when he turned to catch her gaze, she had immediately looked to her shoes. She was relatively quiet the whole week.

"Say Tracey, is it really true that our head of house is harsh to the other houses?"

Tracey shrugged at the question "I don't know Harry, this is our first lesson after all, plus we shouldn't listen to the rumor mill" Harry nodded his head, he couldn't help but smile at his brown haired friend, she didn't give him any malice after the sorting feast and continued to treat him well, like _just_ Harry. He felt really appreciated of her, though she pulled him aside sometime during the week to talk to him. He couldn't help ponder what they had talked about and if he said so himself, it was a rather awkward conversation, he was desperate to keep her as his friend. He was foreign to having relationships with people.

 _"Harry, can I ask you something… in private?"_

 _"Yea sure." replied Harry, a feeling of dread slowly spread out through his body, he knew exactly what she was going to ask him about. They where in the common room and thankfully Daphne wasn't there. Tracey recalled that she had been in the library studying, whatever for Tracey had no idea and Blaise was on the other side of the room talking with Theodore Nott. She had dragged him to a study table that was unoccupied and away from everyone else. She took a seat and Harry did the same on the opposite side of the table._

 _Harry stared at her for the following seconds and she did just the same. She stayed quiet for a few seconds not knowing exactly how to proceed._

 _"H-Harry, why did you-why did you not tell us who you were?" She stared at him, waiting for an answer. "I felt rather embarrassed of what I said about the books written about you. Though I'm sure you have your reasons, right?"_

 _Harry gave her a look of guilt, she was right, she and Daphne would have never talked about their childhood fantasies had they known his true Identity._

 _"Tracey, its just that, well, I don't know really know how to explain it and its just that- that I didn't want you both to have false pretenses of me. I just froze when you guys started talking about it." Harry had said. "I never knew that I was a wizard, or a famous one at that until I got my Hogwarts letter, I lived my life with my relatives". Harry explained no further than that. Maybe he should have told her the reactions in the Leaky Cauldron? "When I first went to Diagon Alley, a gentlemen in the Leaky Cauldron noticed me and it wasn't long until the entire pub tried to shake my hand and it freaked me out a bit." He looked down to the table, hopefully she wouldn't get mad at him right?_

 _Still looking at the table he spoke again after a few seconds of silence that had passed quickly "I never wanted this attention, you've seen the way people look at me, the way they whisper, its just a lot to take in you know? People may see the Boy-Who-Lived and praise me for what I supposedly did, but do you know what I'm reminded of?" He looked up to meet her brown eyes who looked at him questioningly with a gentle face. "Reminded of what Harry?"_

 _His voice quivered slightly " My parents Tracey". He explained no more. The flash of green lights and the screaming that haunted his dreams would forever stay a secret._

 _Tracey immediately gave him a look of sympathy and pity and made her way to sit next to him. "Im so sorry Harry, I-I don't know what to say" she said unsurely, she did the only thing that she could think of and hugged him. Awkward indeed._

 _Neither noticed the boy on the other side of the room watching, the end of his lips curled upward into a smirk. His eyes glinted, the scene brought him satisfaction. He could use this to his advantage. Though now wasn't the time, no he needed the entire house of Slytherin to witness Potter's humiliation. He would be patient… for now._

The group entered the Potions classroom and took their seats however the desks were designed so that it would only allow for two to sit at a time. Harry and Blaise took one, Daphne and Tracey took another nearby. The room slowly filled in with students. As the classroom filled out, it was clearly evident that there was a separation between the students with green trimmings on their robes and the ones with red. One side green the other red. To Harry, It was clear since their first transfiguration class that Gryffindors and Slytherins did not like each other.

The students in general were awaiting their Professor who had yet to show up, so as to pass the time they had started gossiping. A red headed boy too joined in to talk with some of his friends, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. Though he was the one talking and the other two were listening to whatever he was saying, he glanced at Harry occasionally.

The sound of the door flinging open silenced the room and Snape made his way towards the front of the class with his wand out as he flickered the windows shut "There will be no foolish wand waving and silly incantations in this room. No…" he drawled out slowly and put his wand away speaking in almost nothing but a whisper "…what I have to teach you is more. So. Much. More. Some of you will hardly believe that what you do in here is magic. I can teach you the subtle art in which you can ensnare the senses bewitching the mind, the ever dangerous ingredients slowly swiveling in the veins of your enemy. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper to death…" His eyes quickly flickered over to Harry but said nothing. "… that is of course if you aren't the big bunch of dunderheads that I usually have to teach. Todays lesson will be easy for we will be brewing a potion to cure boils. Now before we begin, I will educate you on the tools that you should have brought with you today."

He went on to explain proper handling of some of the most sharpest utensils, he also explained each tool. What it was and its uses in preparing a potion. He took a quick roll call. Snape then explained the potion they were going to brew as he wrote out the instructions on the black board in front of the class. "Begin" he had said. No one took his or her leisurely time.

Harry and Blaise worked together on the potion, Harry decided he should be responsible for the cutting and chopping. His skill with a knife was well honed after the many meals he prepared for the Dursleys. Blaise had agreed to the actual brewing. They worked in silence and eventually Snape started to walk around the classroom insulting a Gryffindor here and there. He made his way to where Harry and Blaise were, he made eye contact with both boys and his eyes lingered on Harry for a long second. Snape easily towered over his small frame and Harry gulped, he had to raise his head to meet Snapes eyes, hopefully his professor didn't point his wand at him again. Snape slowly let his eyes wonder over the desk, and his eyes fell on the potion. He gave the both boys a nerve-chilling stare, he seemed like he had wanted to say something, like he was fighting to say something. His eyes met Harrys, "Acceptable" was all Snape said after an intense moment, he slowly turned around and went ahead to check on Tracey and Daphne. "Exceeds Expectation" Harry heard him praise the girls.

Both girls looked at each other and smiled, pleased with their work.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Harry and Blaise heard an explosion. Everyone nearby looked towards the cause, the boy who had lost his toad on the train stood in front of an obliterated cauldron with the potion all over him. Boils quickly emerged from the poor boy's skin. Everyone in the room held their breath as they observed the following effect.

Snape made his way over to the boy quickly cursing under his breath, he surveyed the damage and immediately his eyes lay upon the ingredients. The idiot boy had used the porcupine quills before he had taken the potion off from the fumes. He had emphasized that during lecture! Another dunderhead that couldn't follow the simplest of instructions!

Snape continued to survey the desk and his heart stopped as he stared at the _thing._ It had been melted through and resembled a piece of blob. The cause of his heart stopping wasn't the idiot boy whimpering in pain as boils erupted even more from his skin, no that wasn't it. Potion brewing was an art form to him and Snape's heart cried out to perfectly good potion ingredients and the delicate instruments in which he brewed. For Snape, the loss of the cauldron ate away at his heart, its carefully crafted pewter made form never to brew another potion again, the blob was now forever ingrained in his memory.

Obliterating a perfectly _good_ cauldron was a **sin** in his eyes.

"Idiot boy!" he grabbed onto Neville's arm and pulled him up from the ground roughly. He turned to Seamus and spat at the boy "Get him out of my sight. Take him to the Hospital Wing!"

"Why didn't any of you stop him, I clearly said to take the potion off the fire to add the porcupine quills!" said Snape angrily as he addressed the side of the room filled with Gryffindors. No one said anything, terrified fof the fuming man in front of them.

"Not very brave to take the blame then?" He sneered at the group. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

Harry watched the red headed boy stand on his feet, hands clenched into a fist next to his thighs. "You can't do that! It wasn't his fault! He was sabotaged!" If it was possible, Snape sneered even more. "Oh really Mr. Weasley, and who would do such a thing?"

The boy had turned red as he turned towards Harry's general direction. "It was Malfoy who did it! Everyone knows the git hates Gryffindor!" Ron Weasley replied.

Snape was looking murderous. "Well did you see him do it Mr. Weasley" his sneer not looking like it was going to disappear anytime soon.

"N-no, but I bet Hermoine did!" Hermoine Granger suddenly wanted to run away as Snape's attention was directed to her, his coal black eyes made her squirm.

"Well, Ms. Granger, is what Mr. Weasley saying true?

Granger looked to the floor and mumbled something, her voice quivered. "Louder." Snaped drawled out slowly.

"N-no" she said louder, she couldn't lie to an authority figure after all, not even for a fellow housemate. Snape grinned in victory "That's another twenty points from Gryffindor for falsely accusing a fellow classmate."

"Hey wait ju-" Hermoine heard the red haired boy start, he was going to cost Gryffindor another twenty points!"

"And Detention Mr. Weasley."

Ron Weasley said no more.

Harry heard Draco Malfoy slowly snicker in the background. Harry watched the scene with wide eyes, he was so glad he didn't end up in Gryffindor. Snape was a predator hunting big game, and the game was lions.

The rest of the class period was spent working in silence, no on dared to speak. Especially the Gryffindor's, they did not fancy tickling the big snake in the room.

The class period slowly came to a close and all the students had stowed a sample of their potion into vials to turn in. Harry and Blaise had made it out of the door and waited for Daphne and Tracey, both girls soon emerged and the group of four made their way to the great hall for lunch, no one had said anything until they got out of the dungeons. Tracey broke the silence.

"Holy…"

"…Crap" Blaise finished for her. The tension in the room had been so thick after the cauldron exploded that no one had dared to start yacking, the tension had leaked out into the dungeons.

"He was so-so pissed. Im so glad none of us are Gryffindors. Did you see the boy's face? He looked like was about to crap himself. I mean, I wouldn't blame him. Now I know. Never give reason to upset our Head of House." Harry, Daphne, and Blaise nodded in agreement. The group continued to walk and someone had called out to Harry and the group. He turned to see Graham Montague approaching them alone.

"Hey guys, you heading towards the Great Hall for lunch?" Harry nodded his head. "Yea we are, you want to come with us?"

Graham nodded his head.

"Have lover boy join us? Only if he promises to tell us more about Romeo Montague" Tracey giggled and Graham groaned regretting calling out to them. Tracey giggled again. "I'm only teasing."

The group slowly made their way to the Great Hall and soon were having lunch. As they were sitting, owls flew in from the great windows of the Great Hall and dropped off letters here and there to students. One owl in particular landed in front of Daphne, it held out a leg with a letter attached to it.

Tracey looked on curiously as Daphne silently read the reply from home with somewhat of a frown, she put the letter down and sighed.

…

 _Sometime during the week_

Daylight had long since vanished from the sky, the dark void blanketed all of Britain and the twinkles of light in the sky permeated a nice substitute for the vanished sun. In the deepest sections of the Ministry of Magic were two workers that had stayed past the hours of normal operations, the unusualness for them beckoned them to stay the night.

Cyrus Greengrass observed the device as the light pulsed flamboyantly. The behavior of the device was a most curious thing indeed. There wasn't a decent explanation for the behavior, all possible causes escaped him, the possible theories he could think of were ignored as the device let out another flash of light. And like the flash of light so too were many of his hypothesis thrown out the window. He let out a frustrated grunt.

A man leaning against the wall close by observed him, his cloak fell down to his knees and the hood over his head covered much of his face in the dark and only visible to the man in front of him. "I take it you are having difficulty as well Cyrus?"

The man in question turned towards his fellow friend and boss who eyed him curiously. He looked at the device again with narrowed eyes.

"I don't know what exactly is the cause but there is no doubt about it Saul, it calls for serious investigation."

Saul let out a laugh as his back leaned against the wall. "If you can't seem to think of anything, what makes you think anyone else will?" I certainly can't think of anything, that's why I have you looking at it, you are but one of the few that can possibly come up with a theory that explains it. Though I suppose even you can have trouble. Surprising really. I suppose for now we should just keep an eye on it and try to recognize a pattern I suppose, if it even has one."

Cyrus looked towards his friend and shook his head. It was late in the night and he was tired, so was Saul judging by how he was supporting himself against the wall. Or was he at it again?

"Who else have you had look it over?"

"Everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Yes everyone Cyrus, like I said, if you don't have any idea then the next best thing to do is to wait and see. Don't give me that look. You know what happened last time."

Cyrus gave him a stern look. "Then send me in."

Saul clenched his gut as he let out a hurl of laughter escape, the brandy he downed earlier having a clear effect on him. He turned back his worker and cleared his lungs. "Can't do that Cyrus. I won't lose one of my best. That last incident left me a bit paranoid. Besides what's the rush? You need to accept my invitations one of these days, just come with me and Algernon to that pub across the street. We'll get pissed drunk! Even you need to let loose some steam.

Cyrus smiled at his friend. "Saul."

Saul gave him a questioning look, and shortly pulled out a bottle of brandy with a mischievous grin. Cyrus ignored it

"You'll have better luck convincing Bode"

Saul's face darkened and he had immediately scowled, it was no secret he despised the mention.

Cyrus grinned and let out a small laugh "I'm pulling your leg Saul. Anyways it is late and its time to go, I do have to get some shut eye you know. I have a family to get back to too."

Saul let out a sigh. "Very well, I'll see you tomorrow then Cyrus."

Cyrus Greengrass nodded, but not before he put the device back in place. He narrowed his eyes at it again as its shimmering light slowly diminished into a black void. He soon gathered his things and made his way to the Ministry's auditorium. He went over to a nearby fire place and flooed home shortly after.

He landed in the living room of the Greengrass Estate. His stomach had instantly growled out and he instinctively clutched over it and he sighed. It had been a very long and tiring day. He stepped towards the direction of the kitchen; a popping sound immediately halted his steps. He found the eyes of a house elf staring back at him as it bowed graciously. "Master's lady is waiting for him in the kitchen sir." Cryrus nodded to the house elf who was still bowing down to him.

"That's actually were I was headed anyways, thanks Algy." The elf bowed graciously again and with a pop disappeared. He continued to walk towards the kitchen, upon reaching it he observed a face that rivaled an angel, her blond hair flowed freely. Her blue eyes was focused on something in her lap. His wife was reading a book when she noticed him enter. Her eyes sparkled and she sent him a gentle smile, her mouth opened to address him "I had a hunch that you would be late today, I had the elves prepare food for you in advance. Its fresh." On cue, Algy popped into the room and laid a goblet and plate of food in front of Cryus, it bowed again and left with a pop.

He nodded his head appreciatively towards his wife, he sat down and began to eat the food in front of him, occasionally taking gulps from the goblet. He hadn't ate since the afternoon. His wife watched him eat for the first few minutes, her blue eyes scanned his face and eyes, she noted his eyes held stress and fatigue, she smiled a bit before her eyes left his face and returned to the book on her lap, beginning from where she had left off.

Cyrus enjoyed the food and drink, his stomach was satisfied as he finished. Algy popped back in to take the plate and drink, the elf soon vanished. He stood up and made his way towards the living room and went up the stairs. His wife walked beside him. They walked in comfortable silence heading for the master bedroom, however Cyrus stopped a few doors down their destination. He expected to look into the same empty bedroom he had looked into the past few nights. However, it wasn't empty and the occupant in the room slept peacefully in the bed. The door had exquisite lettering on the front plate with the owner's name engraved. The room read 'Daphne'. Cyrus gave his wife a raised eyebrow. She sent him a small but sad smile.

His wife looked towards the girl in the bed, they both watched her sleep for a few seconds before his she spoke.

"She misses her sister. Sleeping in here makes her feel more comfortable, and she wears her pajamas, it makes her feel… connected in some way." Cyrus nodded before he gave her a slight smile and closed the door. Astoria looked beautiful as the moonshine highlighted her features, the blanket slowly rose up and down in sync with her breathing. He continued on his way to the master bedroom. Once in his room, he quickly changed into his sleeping wear, washed his face and brushed his teeth. His wife had already done so and sat on top of the bed still reading the same book. He made his way over to his side of the bed.

She looked him over and she closed the book to put on her nightstand, she turned to her husband who stared at the ceiling. She crawled her way over to him, "Sit up" she had said and he did so without question. She immediately started to unbutton his sleeping shirt. She reached over from behind him. As soon as the shirt fell off her husband, she immediately reached out to massage his massive shoulders.

"You've been coming later than usual the past few days." She stated to him calmly. "Astoria asked me where her father was. She stayed up later than usual waiting for him so that he could read her a bedtime story."

Cyrus remained quiet for a few seconds before he ran through a hand through his hair. "Sorry Roxanne, Croaker has been working us like hounds lately, he has been agitated the past few days due to… a project. He even invited me to go get drunk with him and Algernon.

Roxanne remained quiet but continued to massage his shoulders. "Whatever he has you working on, it must be serious."

"It is." and he said no more, Roxanne didn't question him any further. They passed the next few minutes in silence; Roxanne continued to do circle motions with her fingers. He close his eyes enjoying the sensation. His wife spoke again a few minutes later.

"Daphne's first letter arrived today."

Cyrus smiled.

"Well?" he asked.

"Slytherin." Roxanna answered knowingly to the unasked question. "You were right."

His smile didn't falter. "Well, she can be quiet deceptive when she has too. Though, she needs to watch that temper of hers. I wonder where it came from?"

His wife smiled. "Was I really like that?"

Cyrus couldn't help but break out into a grin, "Oh, you were worse."

He felt her pedicured nails dig in a bit and started to massage...a bit rough. He still kept on grinning. "Though you have come a long way…"

She relented her grip and smiled. "Daphne will have some work ahead of her. Anyhow, your letter remains unopened."

He raised a single eyebrow. "She sent two?"

"Yes, one for us each. Though I'm sure she wants to tell you something for your eyes only. After all, you are her _favorite_ parent."

"I'll read it in the morning."

"I've placed it in your study."

Soon enough Cyrus had let the comfort of darkness consume his eyes.

Cyrus woke up with a start; his wife woke up long before him it seemed, she was no longer in the room. He got ready for the day, and headed down the stairs. He was immediately assaulted by a blur of brown hair, his own brown hair.

"Daddy! Were where you last night?! I tried waiting for you but you never showed up! You own me a bed time story!"

He observed his youngest, her hair was a mess and she was still in her pajamas though it wasn't hers, it was Daphne's when she was Astoria's current age. He couldn't help but snicker at it, there where little drawings of dragons with a boy riding it, a boy with a most peculiar lightening bolt scar on the forehead. "Tori, those aren't yours, you have your own, plus those little paintings are horrendous. Yours are more beautiful; Daphne was …exposed too much to a certain book."

Astoria tilted her head to the side. "You mean the Boy-Who-Lived." She let out a giggle.

Cyrus wanted to get rid of those god awful things, why did he ever buy them for Daphne again? Oh right, she begged him with those amazing eyes she shared with her mother. He couldn't refuse. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

"You don't know what Daphne would do if she found out right? She know she doesn't like to share…" The girl had shuddered a bit in fear before she replied "Then I'll see to it she _won't_ find out."

Cyrus grinned and ruffed her hair a bit. She ran off to join her mother who was sitting in the patio outside with a glass of lemon juice in her hand. He found the plate his youngest had left; the sight of unfinished waffles greeted him. Algy had immediately popped in and took the plate with him. He had his breakfast a few minutes later and before long he had finished. Rising up he made his way to his study. He placed his hand on the door and it soon unlocked the wards. The heavily warded door was keyed to his and Roxanne's magic, his study was one of most privacy as it held many secrets. Secrets of the Greengrass's, books that were thought to be long extinct, secrets that he would make sure never left this room. In fact it was so heavily warded that it was ready to self-destruct on command and if someone or something tried to force their way in. As he sat in his desk, he noticed the letter awaiting him. He opened it and read its contents slowly. Why did his eldest write something to him and him alone? He soon found out why as his eyes widened as he read more and more.

It seemed Daphne had befriended the Boy-Who-Lived, albeit temporally, though he could understand why the boy would hide his identity, well at least he didn't bask in his fame like so many eleven year olds would in his position. It seemed that she had let her little temper problem get the best of her. He sighed. Was teaching her occlumency at ten a good idea? He should have waited for her to be older, no doubt it had backfired on her, instead of dealing with her emotions internally, she had let her emotions get the best of her, no doubt whatever bottled feeling of anger she had since the start of her training exploded towards the poor boy. Though he hoped it wasn't too much anger. How much anger could a young girl going from ten to eleven bottle anyways? No doubt she would have to remake the shields. Whatever anger she had hid behind her occlumency, he was sure Harry Potter, Boy-Who-lived got blasted with it.

He looked up to see that his wife was sitting across from him, he hadn't notice her walk in. "I've received word from Narcissa Malfoy that she would like for us to go over for dinner next week."

Cyrus groaned. No doubt Lucius Malfoy wanted something from him, a favor or something of the sort. He ran his fingers through his hand. "I have no time to play this childish game, is there any way to decline without offending?." His wife gave him a look, "Honey, you know we have to keep up appearances."

Cyrus nodded his head slowly and tiredly. Being perceived neither dark nor light was hard for him to maintain. Merlin was he lucky to have been neutral in the last war, both sides were equally as bigoted, though for different reasons. The Dark Lord and his supremacist agenda had a poor taste in his mouth. And the light side, well, those families saw the world in black and white. Like the world was split into two categories, the death eaters and the Dumbledore supporters. Fools they were, both sides.

He looked over to his wife, "I have to write a quick reply to Daphne, I might be awhile, I also have some things to take care of. " She nodded and stood to leave. He pulled out some tools from under his desk. Ideas immediately swarmed his mind. His wife looked back at him curiously, she gave him one last look and closed the door.

He wrote a quick reply to Daphne.

He then placed the tools under his desk directly in front him, he looked at them with a frown. The device from last night disturbed him deeply as it did too for Saul. He had to give it to is friend this time, he was sure Saul was pulling one on him when he had said that he had everyone look the device over. Saul was pulling one on him right? Surely Algernon had thought of something? Then again, Saul rarely bluffed when they where dealing with a matter as serious as this. No, he wasn't messing with him. And if anyone had no idea, then well… disturbing indeed.

Looking his tools over again he quickly went to grab one that was made from brass. He inspected the device over and immediately concluded it wouldn't do. He reached for another device however he knocked another tool over.

He cursed under his breath as the thing hit something on his desk. It wasn't anything significant but it had been a small gift from Saul . It was some weird muggle thing. Saul Croaker had told him that the muggles had called it 'Newtons Cradle' or something along those lines. He stared as the balls hit each other back and forth; he didn't even bother stopping it, he found it a bit amusing. He continued to work in silence for the next few hours, inspecting each of his tools carefully.

After a while Cyrus let out a frustrated groan. None of his ideas would work on the damn device, for each new thought he had, there had easily been a block to the process or a weakness! The sound of the balls hitting each other was starting to frustrate him or maybe he was mad that he couldn't think of quick solutions like he always had? Merlin he could just blast the thing where it stood. He stood up and pointed his wand at it and planned to annihilate it with a Reducto. He stared at the thing for a few more seconds, as he was about to let the words out of his mouth, he stopped immediately. His eyes widened in shock at the idea he had, it was almost ludicrous!. He immediately grabbed his equipment. He had one destination in mind, the only destination.

The Department of Mysteries

...

 **Happy to see this story is getting a healthy following. 250 new followers and 43 reviews from last chapter alone!** **This story will be epic in length. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed/followed/favorited. Makes me Happy.**

 **Quick note. Saul and Algernon are two different people.**

 **Sorry for the lack of action, I had a cool idea that I had written down and was 4k long and already written. However the idea was scraped. Its the first week so no epic duels between Harry and Draco fighting to be king of Wizarding Britain.**

 **With how limited knowledge Harry has of magic, action has been hard for me to write so far. Be patient and you shall be rewarded.**

 **Review, Follow, Favorite.**

 **Stay awesome.**

 **BP out.**


	5. Halloween, A Feast for the Ignorant

**An: Glad I was able to get this out by Halloween. Great timing.**

 **Disclaimer: As always I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.**

 **Chapter Length: 14k**

* * *

 **The Rise**

 **Chapter 5: Halloween, A Feast for the Ignorant**

 **By BlackPlasma**

* * *

 _October 31, Hogwarts_

The night roared away as ferocious fury struck into the night and flashes of volatile light erupted from the heavens as it hit the earth. The droplets of water moistened the grounds as the wind gushed through stoned walls. Fear and trepidation ran throughout the small population of Hogwarts as students were escorted to their dormitories; The Prefects hushed soothing words to the terrified population.

Daphne breathed in heavily, panic evident in her face as she had her wand drawn and pointed at the beast, albeit shakily. No first year student should have been in her predicament, were where the professors? Oh right. Granger.

She knew not of any spell strong enough to pierce the sickly green dermis, she stood her ground for she _had_ to, she _had_ to protect the unconscious girl behind her. With a shaky hand and a wand pointed at the beast, Daphne pronated her wrist " _Reducto!_ " she had all but cried out from the bottom of her lungs.

The red flash erupted from her wand with a bang and hit the monster square in the chest and it stumbled back… before it let out a feisty roar, its proportional lung size made it echo throughout the corridor. Daphne felt the shiver of fear bolt down her spine. Reducto had been the strongest curse that she currently knew, -courtesy of her father- it wasn't strong enough, not _nearly_ strong enough to do any considerable damage. She could of cursed herself right there on the spot if the situation wasn't so dire. She only watched in horror as it raised its wooden club, readying itself to hammer her down with ferocious vengeance. She closed her eyes, at least the darkness would comfort her from the fright of seeing the massive wooden piece come down from the infuriated troll. It never came and she opened her eyes.

Why was she still conscious?

Her eyes widened as she saw Harry on jump on top of it from behind trying to distract it. His brilliant green eyes bore into hers for the tiniest fraction, a serious glint to his eyes for no words where exchanged, the message clear. _Run_. Oh she would have loved to but she couldn't abandon the girl behind her and she wouldn't be fast or strong enough to carry her past the troll either.

The monster let out another undignified roar before it reached behind its big arms and grabbed him by the leg. Her heart could of stopped as she saw it fling him to the other side of the bathroom, his velocity only halted by the stonewall.

…

 _First Week of Term, After First Potions Lesson_

The group of four plus Graham were gladly digging in to the food in front of as they slowly satisfied their empty stomachs. Fried chicken with grits on the side was definitely a favorite among Hogwarts during lunchtime. "What an interesting first week." Blaise said while Daphne and Harry gave a nod.

Tracey gave a wide smile. "I know right! Though History of Magic could be better. Don't really care much for Transfiguration; I couldn't get the bloody match to morph. I'm no good at it, unlike Harry or Daphne of course. And Potions, well seems it won't be bad for us. At least nothing like what happened to Longbottom twenty minutes ago."

Never irritate Snape, for that was obvious.

"Please, I found it a bit amusing." Said Blaise as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice; he had gotten a good front view as the incident occurred. He never knew the unfortunate boy could go paler by the minute. He let out a small laugh. Graham Montague watched the first years with curiosity, what had happened to the Longbottom Scion?

"What happened?"

The group of first years turned to the third year boy. Blaise seemed like he was about to snicker again while Daphne ignored the conversation. The dark skinned boy opened and closed his mouth as his attention was diverted to the giant flock of owls that had immediately greeted the Great Hall. Harry looked fascinated as many just swooped in low enough to certain students to drop off letters and quickly snatched up pieces of food with their beaks. He observed some owls heading straight for the head table.

All thoughts of the potion incident were forgotten as Harry saw that his friends received letters, " _from home"_ he thought sadly. He would have to visit Hedwig later in the day. She must've been bored with no letters to neither deliver nor send.

Harry observed Tracey as she immediately ripped her letter and scanned it quickly with a smile on her face. Blaise read his letter too albeit with a more neutral expression. Graham stuffed his into his robes, most likely for later, he opened up a copy of the Daily Prophet. Graham frowned as he read more and more. "Hey look, someone broke into Gringotts."

No one really paid him attention as they read their own letters, well no one except for Harry and Daphne.

The final letter was dropped off in front of Daphne and her attention left from the Gringrotts break in, though she noted to find out what happened later.

Harry felt a bit sad for not receiving anything and quickly gave his attention to the meal in front of him. Tracey and Daphne had noticed.

Daphne stared at the letter in front of her, no doubt from home. She opened it and read it.

 _Daphne,_

 _Try to calm yourself. You know I told you to watch that temper of your, you will only end up pushing people away. I won't tell you if you were in the right or in the wrong to behave the way you did. I want you to decide for yourself._

 _It would do you some good to make decisions on your own. Now I'm not telling you to apologize to Harry Potter, that's a choice your going to make on your own. You stated in your letter that you thought he was an all right bloke before you found out who he really is. Maybe he had a reason to hide his identity? Talk to him and do what you think is right. Anyways, sorry this letter has been short. There is something that I need to check as I am writing and it is urgent. Anyways I'll write again to you sometime next week. Your mother and sister send their love. Check your Occlumency shields. From what you described to me it seems they have been broken down by your backlash. I have told you already, get a better grip on your emotions._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your Father._

 _P.S. Do try to write to Astoria, no doubt she will feel left out that you didn't write to her. I know that she can annoy you at times, but she is your sister, she holds nothing but love and admiration for you._

She frowned. It really was short and blunt. Not really her father's style, usually he was more elegant in his writing. She shrugged it off, he did say something urgent had come up. Maybe that was the reason?

She felt a bit guilty reading last part, she would write to her sister soon.

She glanced over to Harry who had been digging into his dish. The Boy-Who-Lived.

He wasn't what she had expected, he was just so calm at times even when it was obvious everyone nearby was gossiping and staring at him. The boy in front of her had been… nice, no hint of arrogance nor one of superiority she had expected at first. He was almost… normal. Yet anything but, it seemed the populace wouldn't let him be the average student going about his day in peace. He looked up from his plate and his green eyes bore into hers for a quick second. She darted her eyes to the side quickly.

She had felt guilty about how she had treated him the past few days, especially during the feast. She had just felt so humiliated and embarrassed that she let out that child fantasy of hers. Curse Tracey for bringing it up. She had already planned to make amends for her rude 'un-lady like behavior', as her mother would put it, but she just couldn't find the opportune moment to concede her guilt.

The boy in front of her had been a childhood crush of hers like many other girls in the wizarding world, the books described him with such heroicness to his name, it was a top seller.

How could she not develop a small infatuation in her youth? No doubt many other girls had too judging by the looks he was attracting from the older females. She had noticed some girls in her year staring at him too. She shook her head.

How had she believed such nonsense, such silliness? It was idiotic, but she had been a child. She was glad that she had grown out of that phase.

She looked over to her best friend who had been eyeing her with a calculation look. Tracey gave Daphne a smile and sent a glance towards the raven-haired boy.

Tracey had apparently noticed she had been stealing glances at him. Great.

Daphne looked back towards the letter, the part on Occlumency disturbed her a bit.

She needed to check her mental barriers; as soon as possible, she would have to meditate for the night.

She was worried, how could she not have checked them during the week? If worse came to worse, she would have to rebuild the barriers, a year's worth spent on them down the loo. And for what? She shook away the thoughts and focused back on eating the porridge that lay in front of her.

It was soon enough that Graham had started to chat with Lucian Bole and his fellow third years and Blaise had started to chat with Theodore Nott.

Soon Daphne finished her lunch, as did Harry and Tracey.

Tracey gave her a nod and the three stood up, and left the Great hall leaving Montague and Zabini to their conversations.

As they made their exit, Harry was quick to notice Draco Malfoy talking with a couple of boys that were older, one of them being Marcus Flint if He had recalled correctly.

Malfoy turned to meet his glance and immediately glared at Harry. Harry ignored him as he walked pass by him. It only took a few days and Draco had done the impossible, Harry never thought he would meet a person he would hate more than Dudley with a passion.

As he continued to walk through the halls, he was glad to note the stares and the whispers were occurring less often now. It was a relief, at least now he would be able to go about his day a bit more peacefully.

The three walked in silence until they reached the common room a short while later and made their way to one of the empty tables by the fire. Not many Slytherins in the common room it seemed. As they sat down Harry noticed the glance Daphne sent his way before she averted her gaze again.

"What a week!" Tracey had all but said as soon as they sat down, pulling out a textbook and a few spare pieces of parchment from her bag. "We got loads of homework, I thought the first week was suppose to be easygoing. Don't you guys think so?"

Harry nodded, It had been years since he took homework and school seriously, he had once tried to impress his aunt and uncle by getting good marks, only for them to punish him even more as anything being better than their _Dudlers_ was blamed on freakishness. No he hadn't taken homework nor school seriously for the past few years. He sighed. It seemed Tracey and Daphne were the studious lot, not a bad thing. A few years of procrastination had led him being comfortable lazing about. He was sure it would take him a bit to get accustomed to studying all over again. Oh well, at least he had people who he could turn to for help if he needed it.

He soon followed Tracey's and Daphne's lead and took out his transfiguration text as well. McGonagall had left quite a bit on theory and quite a few excerpts to read and analyze from the book. It was best to get started right away, or risk being left behind. They studied together and read the textbook in silence for a short while. Absorbing what they could until Tracey had spoken up.

"Daphne, Harry, how were you able to transfigure the matchstick into a needle so quickly? I was only able to get it halfway." Tracey had asked rather embarrassedly, she wasn't as quick to transfigure the small piece of wood. Harry opened his mouth to explain that he just visualized it changing but Daphne was quicker to respond.

"Well Tracey, I was able to grasp it quickly because I practiced it before coming here. "

Tracey shot Daphne a questioning look.

"My mum let me borrow her wand." Daphne quickly answered to Tracey. "It was easy to do it with a wand of my own." She added as she pulled out her wand inspecting it.

"It helps to visualize the matchstick changing. The feeling of the needle, its weight and length also has to be visualized. You can't just wave your wand at it and hope it changes to a needle Tracey. Its much more complicated than that."

Tracey nodded her head before she looked to Harry for any more added advice. Harry shrugged.

"I guess I visualized it like Daphne just said."

He remembered the times in which he had to work a needle to stitch the pieces of clothing that would rip every once in a while, oh he definitely had gotten used to the feel of one. "I guess it's the visualization and intent that drives the magic."

Tracey nodded her head and soon enough went to read her text for any additional information.

The trio spent the afternoon working on their homework and eventually an older boy had come and asked them if they wanted to play a game of goblestones. Tracey had immediately accepted while Daphne and Harry politely declined. The boy led her away to another table. Vaisey was his surname if Harry remembered correctly, Tracey's cousin she had introduced earlier in the week, the students in the other table seemed to be enjoying themselves and they varied by their age.

Daphne and Harry remained quiet while at the table; Daphne shifted in her seat uncomfortably. How should she start this? She did not find her situation comfortable at all and she started to twiddle her fingers in nervousness. True it was her that was suppose to incite it first because she was the one that acted out a bit… in a aggressive manner. All she had to do was say just say how guilty she had felt during the week right? It was the reason why she would avoid his eyes. Why was this so hard? She cleared her throat a bit unsurely; it was not loud enough to catch his attention and so she cleared her throat again a bit more forcefully. Slowly his head lifted up from the book in front of him and his eyes met her own, she felt her heartbeat in her throat as she held his complete attention.

"Er, ummn…" She started, Fumbling with her words for a bit. _"Oh come on!_ " she screamed in her mind, she had the words in her mind but it didn't match what was coming out of her mouth. She looked at Harry a bit unsurely and he sent her a gentle smile. She took a quick inhale of oxygen to soothe her raging heartbeat. "Uhh, Harry. I wanted to-to… ' _Ah damn it all'_ apologize for acting hostile towards you on the night of the sorting. I was overbearing with the attitude."

Harry blinked. She had said all that in one breath. "Emm, ok."

Daphne also blinked. "Er, sorry about that… I just wanted to let you know-that I am sorry for acting the way I did during the welcoming feast. I acted like a bit of a …child.

Harry stayed quiet for a second contemplating about that. Technically she still was a child. In all honestly he had forgotten about it after the third day, though he still appreciated her apology, in turn it made him feel a bit guilty. He was at fault too for not being completely honest.

"Uh, yea Daphne. Sure. Don't worry about it." He said, bringing a bit of relief to Daphne before he added more. "U'mm you aren't totally at fault. I wasn't being truthful, I lied to you and Tracey. I should have told you at the robe shop who I was. I think I can understand why you were quite mad, you were right to. I mean, I would hate being lied to as well."

Daphne stared at him blankly, not knowing how to respond.

"Any who, you owe me a piece of treacle tart." He finished with a smile.

Daphne stared at him some more, he thought he shouldn't have said that and then she let out a small giggle much to his relief, "I'll get you the whole pie." Harry grinned as she smiled back before they both went back to reading. The silence turned into a comfortable one.

"Daphne." Harry said a short while later.

"Yes Harry?"

"You look frightening when you get angry."

She let out a quiet laugh so that only Harry heard.

"Yea, I get that a lot actually. My father tells me that I get it from my mother and my little sister tells me that all the time." She said with a bright smile.

"You have a sister?" Harry asked, he then remembered she had waved to a family with a small girl right before the Hogwarts Express had departed.

"Mm,hm. Her name's Astoria, and she's a hell spawn. She is _very_ annoying; she's always playing these pranks on me. One time she changed my hair blue, I couldn't get it off for a week!" Harry smiled and his eyes darted to her blond hair trying to visualize it blue.

"So have you ever pranked her back?"

Daphne frowned a bit before a mischievous spark glinted in her eyes. "I have, though my mother reprimands me by taking away my chocolate stash. And no matter how hard I try to hide that I did something to my sister, she always ends up finding out. How, I have no clue. Though that will change, when Astoria comes to Hogwarts." An evil glint shined as light hit her eyes, he gulped.

"Ms. Greengrass." Daphne turned her head . Professor Snape stood there "please follow me to my office." She looked back to Harry with a blank face and she soon stood up from her chair, following the head of house.

Harry looked at the spot where she had sat and frowned. What did Snape want with her? They were having a nice little conversation. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? He scanned the common room and immediately spotted Tracey. She hadn't noticed Snape get her as she was laughing with her cousin and Millicent Bulstrode. Students had caught his eye as he was surveying the room and almost everyone had waved to him. Especially Gemma, The fifth year prefect. Harry liked her; she had approached him on the second day to introduce herself to him, she was rather pleasant to talk to. Though he had been suspicious of her at first thinking she was just being nice because she wanted something from him. That had quickly changed as he noticed that she would also chat with the other first years, asking about how they found their classes and such. Though she seemed to steer clear of Malfoy, which was understandable because he would only sneer at her for some reason.

He returned her wave and then focused back on his homework.

It wasn't till a short while later that someone had sat down distracting him. He looked up from his book to meet Daphne's light sapphire eyes staring back at him. He gave her a questioning look and she shrugged. "Snape told me to tell you that he wants to see you. Like right now."

He nodded his head and left his things with Daphne. He walked towards the exit of the common room. Snape's office was just to next to it. He stopped right outside the door. What had Snape wanted with him?

With a slight hesitant hand he knocked on the door. There was no reply and he was about to knock again before a voice on the other side of the door said "You may enter." He did so and quickly noticed that Snape was scribbling something down on a piece of parchment. There was an unoccupied chair in front of the desk. He looked at it unsurely as Snape hadn't even looked up from his work to acknowledge him.

"Sit."

Harry sat in the chair, his nervousness was growing by the second as his head of house continued to write whatever the heck he was doing. The next few seconds passed in silence as the only sound was the sound of a quill scribbling away.

Finally Snape looked up sharply startling Harry.

"Mr. Potter." He drawled out slowly. His hands rested on the desk before his fingers slowly clasped around each other.

"First of all, I want to make it clear that you are not in any sort, of trouble. I would simply like to go over your classes, your goals, and remind you of what is expected Slytherin. First and foremost, how has your first week treated you? Are you finding your classes well?"

Harry blinked, he wasn't expecting the always frightening looking man to be ...a counselor as well.

"Umm, yes sir. There brilliant, I have no doubt that I will be able to do my best. I have started to get a feel for the classes, where my classes are at and how to get there."

Snape eyed him cautiously, and then nodded.

"Mr. Potter, there are many careers here in the wizarding world. I am well aware that you have been raised in the muggle world."

How did he know? Then he remembered how the Hogwart's letter was addressed to his location. Had he had something to do with it? Did he know it was addressed to the 'cupboard under the stairs'? Harry eyed him, did he know?

"It is never to early to start thinking on your future. In your third year you will have a variety of electives to choose from, these electives will later determine which careers you are qualified to pursue. As you can already see where I am going with this, I recommend that you study up wizarding professions during the next two years and see what might strike your interests."

Wasn't he too young to start thinking about a career or a job? He sighed, the man was right, it was never too late to start thinking early. He wanted a career in well, something. He didn't just want to live off the gold the goblins held for him. He didn't want to be like Malfoy.

"The sooner you know for certain the better. It will lead you to which electives to take and which ones to avoid. It be a shame if you were to start your third year and you had no clue as to what you would want to do later in life and ended up taking divination or care of magical creatures. Useless subjects, but if you strike something you fancy that has pre-requisites in that field than by all means take those two. Now on the subject of expectations from the House of Slytherin, you have just told me that there is no reason for you to hold back. I expect you to at least scrape at least three 'Exceeds Expectations' and no lower than 'Acceptables'. For seven years I have prided that we have won the house cup. I do not intend to break that tradition by any means. I will expect you to report to me at least once every three weeks. In the event that you should start to fall behind, I intent to be able to remedy the problem. Am I clear?"

Harry nodded his head. "Very clear sir. "

"If you have any questions regarding anything that I have said, ask now."

Harry shook his head.

"Very well Mister Potter. I will see you in three weeks time for your first report. If you have any other question. Ask one of the Prefects or senior students. If you are ever stuck on something you don't understand ask one of the older students. I have given them incentives to help the younger years understand something if they need help. You are free to go."

Harry slowly stood from his chair and made his way out of Snape's Office. His heart was beating a bit rapidly. That was rather, awkward. He immediately made his way over to where Daphne was sitting. Like him before he left to Snape's office, she sat there reading from the transfiguration textbook. He plummeted down on the chair he had left and she looked up.

"Expectations and life goals?"

Daphne nodded.

…

The next few days passed quickly and Harry found himself even more accustomed to the layout of the castle. He still got lost every once in a while but it occurred less and less frequently with every passing day. It had been Thursday morning and he walked into the common room from his sleeping dormitory, only to see the other first years huddled around the notice board. He had overslept. He noticed that Blaise Zambini was the closest to him and so he approached the boy.

"Hey Blaise. What's going on?" Harry said as he rubbed out his eye trying to get rid of the sleepyness.

"Apparently we have our first flying lesson after lunch. Everyone's excited, as they should be."

An image of a broom took over his mind for a quick second and it was then that Harry immediately remembered his trip to Diagon Alley, other children his age had been gawking at a store with a broom in the frontglas. Harry smiled. "Sounds brilliant!"

"I'm sure it would be _brilliant_ to see you fall off your broom Potter."

Harry turned his head to the side to see Draco and his two goons staring at him, a sly smile on the face of the blond haired prat.

"Oh really? And am I to presume that you're an expert when it comes to flying?" From Harry's experience, he had found that Dudley had loved to talk about himself when it would make him seem superior than he was. He wondered if the same was true for Malfoy?

The rest of the first years looked between the two of them.

Draco puffed up his chest a bit, "Of course! I have been flying the country side since I was but a toddler. I have skills that far outmatch anyone here, I even fly my broomstick as high as those filthy muggles and fly circles around those helitoppers or whatever they call those contraptions. After all, skill combined with _natural_ talent such as mine will easily make it into the Quidditch team. It's a shame that the rules keep me from joining the team now. Merlin knows they can use my talent. "

Harry wanted to smirk as he noticed that older students who were in the common room sent the oblivious blond a glare, most were males and some were on even on the Slytherin Quiditich team. The Malfoy brat was full of it. Harry kept his neutral expression as Draco smirked even more.

"Well Draco, since your such an expert I'm _sure_ we would all like to be given a few pointers." Harry said, inviting him to impose his ego even more.

"Of Course!"

Harry almost rolled his eyes as Draco turned to face the other first years giving out his pointers and going through the motion on how to hold a broom. Daphne and Tracey were among them, Daphne looked bored with what Draco had been preaching about. She sent him a questioning look and he shrugged in response.

It had been a short while later as the group soon dispersed and Daphne along with Tracey approached him.

"You do realize that you made him look like a fool amongst the older years right?" Daphne said as she approached him. Harry gave her a blank look before he broke out into a grin and pulled both of them to the side.

"You could say that." Daphne and Tracey gave each other a look. "What are you up to Harry?" Tracey asked as she noticed that Harry looked pleased with himself.

"Nothing Tracey. Graham might have let a few things…slip."

Harry said no more as he walked past them and made his way out of the common room. He turned back to look at them. "You guys coming to breakfast or what?" Daphne joined him on his left side as Tracey joined his right.

The group shortly made their way to the Great Hall for their breakfast.

Another round of packages and letters from owls were delivered. Harry again felt a bit sad that he didn't even receive a single one. Draco quickly noticed and immediately gloated about the sweets his mother had sent him.

…

Afternoon approached quickly and all first year students seemed ecstatic, Dumbledore watched on in amusement and a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at Hermione Granger who sat quietly reading a text labeled 'Quidditch Through the Ages'. He surveyed the rest of the room and his eyes fell on the black raven haired boy with green eyes. He had been surprised to see him go to that house. He expected the boy to be Gryffindor to the core. He had to re-evaluate a few things that had been on his mind lately. His eyes darted on Greengrass and Davis, the two girls seemed to always be chatting with him, both girls had been from families that did not join the other side, nor his side as well

' _Intresting_ '

…

It had been three-thirty in the afternoon and all first year Slytherins marched down onto the Hogwart's Grounds eager for their first flying lesson. They were two dozen brooms on the floor laying around. Harry looked on curiously before he and Blaise started to chit chat. The rest of the houses started to fill in, first were the Hufflepuffs followed by Ravenclaw and lastly, the Gryffindors.

Madam Hooch soon arrived and eyed the first years with yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand by a broom. Come on, hurry it up." Harry went to stand next to one, flanked by Blaise and Daphne. He looked down on it. Hopefully he wouldn't make too much of a fool out of himself, the broom looked worn as if it had been first created a few centuries ago. His confidence dropped a bit as he noticed the twigs were sticking out in the most bizarre angles, some twigs where even missing.

"Stick your right hand over the broom and say 'Up!'" Harry stuck out his arm and with a loud voice called out "Up!" it immediately shot off the ground and into his awaiting hand. He looked on amazed. _"Wow"._

He surveyed the rest of the students and quickly realized that his broom was one of the few to obey his command. He looked across from him and snorted in amusement as Hermione Granger was struggling with her broom which had only rolled over to the ground, like it was a dead fish out of water. He heard an "Ouch!" as Ron Weasleys broom smacked him in the face. Harry heard Blaise and Pansy Porkinson snigger.

Madam Hooched immediately told those who couldn't get the broom to leave the floor that it was ok to pick it up. She proceeded to instruct them on how to mount it with correct form. She walked down the aisle fixing people's mistake. She stopped in front of Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing?" Draco looked up to meet her eyes. "What does it look like, Im gripping my broom. Its how I have always grabbed it." Madam Hooch looked at him with a stern expression.

"Mr. Malfoy, that is the _worst_ form I have ever seen! Merlin knows how you haven't fallen off yet! Here you grip it like this." She said taking his hands in hers and placing them in the right position. Madam Hooch also proceeded to fix Pansy, Millincent, Crabbe, Goyle and even Nott's grip to Draco's embarrassment.

Nott shot Draco a glare.

Harry couldn't help the grin that split his face. He was delighted that Draco had embarrassed himself; the blond's arrogance was his weakness.

Daphne eyed him with a suspicious look.

"You knew." She said to him, it was not a question but a firm statement. Tracey peered over her shoulder sending Harry a curious look. Daphne then sent him a smile. "I'm impressed." Harry didn't even bother to repress his grin. "Graham might have been practicing on his new broom Saturday. He _might_ have seen Draco there too." Daphne nodded her head In approval.

Madam Hooch retuned to the front of the class, she blew her whistle and all attention was soon diverted to her again. "Now when I blow my whistle again, I want you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep the broom steady, rise a few feet and then back down. Now in three, two-"

"Look!" Blaise yelled out as he pointed at Longbottom, who was well above a _few_ feet from the floor. He kept rising higher and higher, and higher. "Come back down boy!" Madam Hooch yelled out with a strict voice. Neville panicked even more and soon the broom moved like it had a mind of its own, flying him in circles, barrel rolls, back and front flips. He had also nearly crashed straight in the wall of the castle. He eventually lost his grip and slid off. Harry heard a girl, Susan Bones if he recalled correctly yell out loudly right before he hit the ground with a smack. A nasty crack was also heard by all. His broom raced off towards the forbidden forest never to be seen again.

Madam Hooch immediately ran over to the boy, her face equally as white as his. She cooed comfortably to Neville as she inspected his arm, tears ran down his face. "Broken wrist" Harry and the others heard her mutter. She helped Neville up "Come on- its all right. Up you get."

She turned to the rest of class with a serious gaze. "No one is to move while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing! You leave those feet on the ground or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'." She guided the crying boy back to the castle.

It had been a few moments later that someone burst into laughter. "Did you see the look on his face? Maybe he should have turned midair to land on his fat arse. No doubt it would be effective as a cushioning charm." Draco, his goons, Pansy and even Blaise (who snickered quietly more to himself) howled in laughter.

"Shut up Malfoy!" Shouted one of the Patil sisters.

"Sticking up for your little friend eh Parviti?" Pansy Parkinson's all but sneered.

Draco eyed where Longbottom had fallen and immediately went over to pick something up. "Look what we have here? It's that empty ball Longbottom got during lunch. Maybe I'll break the thing just to see the look on his face!"

Harry clutched his fist, the action had reminded him when Dudley had taken a toy a pretty lady bought him when she noticed that his uncle refused to buy him a toy. She was a very pretty lady, teeth so white it had given a shine of its own and her green eyes –a different shade of green from his own- highlighted her soft features even more. He had been happy that someone gifted him something, until Dudley had found out and took it from him, destroying it in front of his eyes.

…

 _Flashback_

A five year old Harry walked around the toy store behind his uncle, he had wanted a toy too like Dudley but his uncle had told him no. Apparently he had done something freaky, Harry didn't know what exactly he did was freaky but he didn't want to disappoint his uncle again!

Harry watched on sadly as Dudley piled and piled the cart full of toys. Ranging from small electric cars to toy soldiers and action figures.

Harry eyed a toy lizard and unconsciously walked over towards it losing his uncle and cousin in the process. He looked at the lizard more closely, it was brown, the packaging had a hole in it and it read "push". He did so and the lizard immediately started moving its legs as if it were running on the ground. He stared fascinated at the toy with a smile.

"Boy! What are you doing!" His uncle hissed at him quietly so the other customers in the store didn't hear. Harry stared back at his uncle with confusion.

"Uncle, can you get this toy for me? Please?" Little five year old Harry asked, desperation in his eyes for him to say yes. His Uncle narrowed his eyes.

"Absolutely not! I told you not to ask for anything before we came here! If it weren't for Mrs. Figg being out sick in the hospital, you wouldn't be here freak!" His uncle hissed again, never noticing a lady nearby.

Harry looked down to the floor dejected, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall out. Why did Dudley always get everything he wanted? Why not him too?

"Dad come here and look!" Uncle Vernon had turned around and walked over to where Dudley was eyeing a pair of fireworks.

Harry gave a last sad look at the reptilian toy; he was going to walk over to where his Uncle was when a lady stopped in front of him. He looked up to see a _very_ pretty lady. She smiled at him, her green eyes gently greeted his own, though they were in a way …different than his, of a different shade. She kneeled down to eye level with him, she wore only the finest clothing, it was obvious the lady was well off.

"Tell me, do you want that toy over there." She said as she eyed the brown little lizard. Harry popped his head up and down quickly. The lady smiled, her white pearly teeth showing through. "I'll tell you what, I will buy it for it if you promise me something."

"What?" Little Harry asked, a bit confused.

The lady eyed him curiously for a second. "Promise me that you'll take good care of it."

Harry's eyes widened in shock. "Yes mam!"

The women beamed at him slightly before she stood back up. "Ok, but it has to be a secret ok?" she added as she eyed his Uncle. Harry felt overjoyed.

"Umn, mam?" The lady looked back to him with curiosity.

"Yes?"

"Are you an angel?"

The lady blinked in surprise. She said nothing for a few seconds and little Harry feared he had said something he shouldn't of have. She moved her hand to cover her mouth as she let out a giggle. Harry watched her reaction in confusion.

"My my, that was very …flattering." She said as she walked over to the toy and grabbed it with a smile. "C'mon." Harry followed her.

The weeks passed by and little Harry was able to hide the toy from his Aunt and Uncle. He kept his little promise and took good care of it as he slept with it every night. Cradling it to his chest.

He had taken it out back to the yard one day and stopped every few minutes to watch it run around when he had pushed the button. It was easy to play with it outside as his Aunt had ordered him to go pick out the growing tomatoes.

"Hey what's that!?"

Harry froze. What had his cousin been doing here? He was suppose to be at Piers Polkiss's house!

He turned around to see Dudley and his friend Piers behind him. He grabbed the toy and hid it behind his back.

"I said whats that?!" Dudley said as he approached him and he stepped back with his hands still behind him grasping onto the toy tightly. He hit the wall behind him and watched with wide eyes as both Dudley and Piers approached him with sadistic looks. He never got the chance to make a run for it as Piers pushed him to the ground, the toy flew in the air.

Piers sat on top of him restraining him while Dudley went to grab the toy.

"Where you get this? It isn't on of mine." Dudley said. Harry looked away and said nothing.

"It looks like the perfect experiment don't you agree Piers?" A shiver went down Harry's spine. "Experiment?"

Dudley only grinned.

"Yea, Dudley. _Use_ that!" Piers said rather loudly. Dudley reached into his pocket and pulled out something on a stick. Harry watched in confusion.

Dudley went into the house and when he came back outside he had a piece of small rope tying the toy to the stick.

"Dudley, what are you doi-"

Piers passed something to Dudley. And Dudley quickly cleared his throat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen for tonight's show, we plan to ignite your world. We will be breaking previous records for today we experiment!" Dudley said in a mocking tone imitating a street performer. He grinned nastily as he pulled out what Piers had thrown to him. He set it close to a wire near the stick and clicked back the device in his hand.

Fire erupted from the lighter and ignited the wire, a small spark slowly made its way closer to the other side of the thing in Dudley's hand. Harry's eyes widened.

With a loud pop the firework flew to the sky, higher and higher it went before it let out another loud pop. Louder than the first one.

Debris soon started falling from the sky. Something landed right in front of Harry. Dudley and Piers started laughing.

He felt tears build up in his eyes as he stared at the broken off and burnt piece of the toy lizards head.

 _Promise me that you'll take good care of it._

The tears rolled down his cheeks.

 _End Flashback_

…

"Give it _here_ Malfoy!" Harry shouted as hard as he could with fury.

The rest of the students looked with at him wide eyes and Malfoy looked at him with disbelief.

"What are you doing Potter?" Malfoy asked silently.

"Its not right for you to take things that aren't yours!" Harry said as he moved closer to him.

The rest of the houses looked on gob smacked and some of the Gryffindors rubbed their eyes to see if what they were seeing was true.

Slytherin against Slytherin?!

Draco scowled.

"Your right, I shouldn't keep what's mine, maybe I'll leave it for Longbottom to find. Say up a tree or on top of the Astronomy tower?" Draco said with a wicked grin.

He mounted his broom and took to the skies. Daring for Harry to do the same. Harry motioned to climb on top his broom before a hand stopped him. Tracey and Daphne both looked at him in puzzlement. "Harry. What are you doing? Sure Draco is unpleasant, but he's a fellow _housemate_!" Whispered Daphne into his ears rather harshly. Harry gave her a look. "Screw the house rules." He took off to the skies leaving a shocked Daphne, Tracey and other first years behind. Draco eyed him in disbelief. "How _dare_ you Potter. Do you have any clue what you just did?!" Harry ignored him. "Give it hear Malfoy. I wont ask again. Or I'll knock you off your broom." Malfoy gave him a murderous glare. "If you want it so bad then here, 'catch!'

He threw the empty ball as hard as he could, satisfied with how fast it was approaching the roof. A sudden wind hit him from behind and was shocked to see Potter going after it with a tremendous velocity.

Harry blasted off in to the wind, the air streaked his hair apart as he approached the remembrall with speed, his peripheral vision turned into nothing but a blur. He closed in on it and grabbed it with an outstretched arm. His eyes widened as he realized he was going too fast, he was approaching a statue with a pointy sword clutched in its hand, sticking out with him directly in it's path. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn't stop in time. He immediately stopped the broom from speeding even more and it slowly started to descend to the respect of gravity. Harry let his whole body fall to the side in an upside down motion and immediately channeled his magic into the broom again making it speed up again. He narrowly avoided the sword and he sighed in relief, only for him to realize that he was quickly approaching the floor. He heard someone in the crowd shriek out loud. With his full body weight he forced the broom to level itself with the ground, his shoes barely scraped the grass below him. He turned around and flew back to the group.

The students in front of him looked at him with large wide eyes, and others were still rubbing out their eyes believing that they were dreaming and what had just happened a few minutes ago was all but in said dream. He got off the broom and approached Parvati Patil.

"Give this to your friend." He said as he handed over the remembrall. It took a few seconds for Parvati to respond as she had her mouth agape before she quickly flushed nodding her head and taking the remembrall into her hands, her eyes glazed over as she watched him with awe.

"MR. POTTER!" Harry's heart flustered faster than the speed of the broom as he eyed McGonagall quickly approaching him.

" _Never!_ In all my years at Hogwarts! How dare you! Come with me this Instant!" Tracey and Daphne were about to protest but the Professor sent them a look, her glasses flashed with fury. Harry looked down to the floor. He remembered what Madam Hooch had said before she left.

He could imagine what his uncle would say. _"Got yourself expelled have you? Ha! Not even they wanted you BOY!"_ McGonagall turned around, and Harry followed her, already imagining what he would look like wearing the Stonewall High uniform.

…

Harry stood just outside Snape's office hearing McGonagall saying her goodbyes to Professor Snape. She stepped out and gave him a stern look before she walked out the Slytherin common room. Snape emerged from his office right after her, "Get in here. NOW!" Harry's face turned white and he went to go take a seat in the empty chair with his head down. Snape stood on the other side. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU POTTER! YOU COST SLYTHERIN EIGHTY POINTS! IF I HAVE MY WAY YOU'LL BE SCRUBBING COULDRENS UNTIL YOU GRADUATE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA…"

Snape continued on and on berating him, never once giving him the opportunity for him to say something, anything. It took a _long_ time for him to calm down from his tirade; Harry could have sworn that he had been panting before he took a swig of something behind his desk.

Snape ran his hand over his greasy hair before he looked at Harry. "McGonagall showed me the memory."

Harry's head snapped up. "Memory?"

"Yes, Potter I have means of viewing memories from other people. You'll learn all about it later in your studies. Now tell me, was that the first time you flew on a broom? I know you have been spending some time with Graham Montague and I know for a fact he spends his Saturdays on the Quidditch pitch. So was that your first time? Don't. Lie." Harry hesitantly moved his eyes to meet Snape's coal eyes. "Yes Sir." Snape nodded before he sat down to quickly write something down. It vanished in the blink of an eye.

Snape sat down on his chair, his arms curled as it steadied on his chin, he contemplated an idea in his mind. The boy wouldn't be expelled, He knew for certain that Dumbledore wouldn't allow it. He sighed; the boy was so much more like Lily than … _him_.

" Mr. Potter, I am not as narrow sighted as McGonagall, I can see …advantages to this. Yes, I see how you will make up those points again. No doubt McGonagall will be furious, though to my amusement."

"You summoned me sir?" Snape turned towards the new voice in the doorway.

"Yes Flint. I have an idea on how we can remedy your little _problem._ " Harry gave a confused look between the two before Snape continued on.

"Mr. Higgs has been trying to avoid it for some reason, but first come here." Snape said as he pulled out a circular disk that seemed to have some liquid running around it. Flint went over and Snape gave him a nod. Harry watched on with surprise as both suddenly planted their faces into the liquid.

A few seconds later Flint emerged from the pensieve and quickly looked over to Harry. "Bloody Hell Potter!"

Snape too emerged catching the older boys attention.

"Mr. Potter here tells me that it was his first time on a broom." Flint's eyes widened even more. "First time? FIRST TIME!?"

Snape quickly nodded and turned to Harry "Mr. Potter, you will be reporting here to Flint every Tuesday and Thursday's in the afternoon. This will remain a secret and you are to tell no one."

Snape looked between the two. "Now Mr. Potter, you will be needing your own broom."

…

The summer heat slowly dissipated away as September quickly came to a close. Harry spent most of his days studying with Tracey, Daphne and occasionally Blaise. There had been an uproar from the older students when they had heard that Harry openly went against a fellow Slytherin in front of the other houses, he was victim to the never ending glares from most older students. But it had soon died out, Marcus had seen to it personally, it was due to that action that granted him the new seeker.

Harry had spent his days getting to know the older boys who represented the House of Slytherin out on the Quidditch Pitch. He felt sore and rubbed a bruise on his chest. A bludger had hit him square in the chest. Even more surprising was the beater himself who had done it. It had been somewhat of a surprising shock to see that Graham Montague was on the team. Sure he got along with him fine but that didn't stop the boy from being brutal on him. "Harry, we have little time to get you in shape for the season. You have to endure for now, I will show _no_ mercy." Had been his excuse. Harry hissed a bit from the pain, his older friends arm was dynamite, he was sure the boy had massive arms under his school robes if the force of the impact was anything to by. His new status as the new seeker remained a secret and Higgs was used as a public decoy to throw off the other teams, even most of the Slytherins didn't know.

The team had been hesitant to believe Marcus's story of what he saw in Snapes office. It seemed that Adrian Pucey didn't really take kind to him, Harry remembered him as the boy who frequently chatted up Gemma. Pucey had seemed reciprocal of the claims Marcus had claimed and asked him to demonstrate. Needless to say that Harry did so and had shocked the group at his display, it was as if he and the wind where one. Adrian Pucey never questioned his flying abilities again.

Marcus had pulled him aside sometime after practice and had asked him to follow him, and so he did. Upon entering a Trophy room, Marcus had led him to a specific one. "Though your father might have been a Gryffindor, it is a well known fact that he was an excellent flyier. From what I heard, he is one of the best in recent history. It seems you have inherited his gift, and I plan to use it to demolish the other houses." Marcus had told him with glee.

"Where have you been disappearing to Harry?" asked Tracey as she approached him with Daphne flanking her right. Harry immediately withdrew his hand from his chest."

The two girls in front of him had made it really difficult for him to keep his secret. He was starting to run out of excuses for his disappearances in the late afternoon. Daphne had definitely knew something was amiss, she would eye him with her calculating blue eyes, he had to admit that he had felt like she read right through him, never believing his petty explanations about studying in the library or visiting Hagrid,

Hagrid was Harry's most recent friend, he had sent him a letter invitation for tea during the final week of September.

To Harry's surprise thankfully, Daphne never questioned him. He was lucky.

He tried to think of something, anything. "I was in the hospital wing. Heart burn." That was true, he really had been in the hospital wing, though from the bruise.

Tracey nodded. "Oh, so is that why you have been grabbing your chest lately?" Harry slowly nodded in surprise, apparently it was more obvious than he had thought.

"I'm _sure_ Madam Pomfrey fixed you right up didn't she?" Daphne pitched him. Sending him a frown with a raised eyebrow.

"Er, yeah." He said as he stood up putting his books away, if he didn't know any better he would have been sure she wasn't being sarcastic.

"C'mon, lets go. We have to get to the Astronomy tower in twenty minutes."

The group soon left the common room. Their destination many floor levels above them.

The night was spent studying constellations. Harry found it intriguing that some random collection of stars created pictures of various things like Sagittarius. It seemed like someone or something had drawed in the sky using the stars.

It was until eleven in the night when they were released from their session, they walked down the grand staircase behind the other Slytherins. A staircase suddenly shifted when they were midway.

"This damn thing needs to stay still!" said a very irritated Tracey as it moved along.

Harry sighed. "Lets just follow it and wait for another stair case."

"I agree" Daphne said walking to the end of the stair while rubbing her eyes trying to rub out the sleepiness.

"Um guys." Harry and Daphne both turned to Tracey. "We are on the third floor."

"Yes, and?"

Tracey gave Daphne a serious look, "Were on the third floor. You know, the one were _suppose_ to avoid."

Daphne shrugged. "So it seems… Hey where are you going Tracey!" Daphne added as Tracey walked right past her with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Oh come on, surely you aren't curious what's here are you?"

"Dumbledore said-"

"-Oh the old bugger is out of his mind anyways. Surely whatever is there can't be that bad." Tracey said as she interrupted Harry.

She continued to walk forward. Harry eyed Daphne who rolled her eyes before she followed her. Harry did so too and soon they came into contact with a huge door as tall as the ceiling. "I don't suppose any of you know how to unlock this thing? Daphne?"

Harry felt Daphne walk past him, she was half asleep if her droopy eyes were anything to go by.

"Here let me do it. Doubt it would work though. ' _Alohamora!'"_ Harry heard a clicking sound. He watched curiously as Tracey looked like she wanted to jump up and dawn in excitement. She approached the door and Daphne stepped aside. She opened it up a little and peered her head in. Slowly and _very_ slowly she stepped back, her face whitened. Daphne gave her a questioning look. She moved to where Tracey had been, Harry approached the door and watched Daphne stick her head in.

Harry stuck his head in touching Daphne's hair with his chin. His heart froze. There sleeping on the ground was the biggest dog he had ever seen. Not any dog either. A dog with three heads. He immediately pulled out his head and pulled Daphne back before he slammed the door. The group ran down the grand stair case and never spoke of what they saw.

…

Harry woke with an upstart and blinked, it had been almost two months since he had come to Hogwarts. Needless to say, it had been fantastic! Well minus a few things. Quidditch practice had been fun, especially when everyone on the team would look on at him in awe as he did his little stunts. He got up from his bed and went through his morning rituals and made it out to the common room. Seeing so few Slytherins awake, he decided that it was time to head to breakfast quickly. He sighed in relief; no one was there that he knew very well.

He wanted to be alone for the day. The day marked when fate had taken him into its hand, the day marked the cause to his stay with the Dursley's, the day marked when death kissed him and when it took his parents away from him, a love he would never know.

It was Halloween and he was not looking forward to the feast. How could he? Everyone was smiling in anticipation towards the event for a celebration of the dead. No, the day was not a day to have a feast for him. He still had the nightmares; the screaming of a women plagued his mind, a scream of desperation, fear, and death.

He soon made his way to the Great Hall. He made his way over to the side he was use to sitting at. A few other early risers shot him a curious look, he ignored them and soon enough filled his plate with breakfast. He ate into his eggs quickly for he did not want to get suckered into a conversation with a fellow housemate. He wasn't feeling social.

Quickly standing up, he made his way out the Great Hall, there was only one place where he could let his mind roam free, only one place where he felt so, relaxed, the Quidditch pitch. He didn't know why but flying had made him feel at ease, flying against the hurling wind a few hundred feet in the air soothed him. Merlin he loved it.

Soon he reached his destination and made his way over to the locker rooms. He went over to Graham's locker and grabbed his Nimbus Two Thousand; mounting it he shot off into the air. The ground soon moved further and further away from him. He quickly scanned the area around him noticing the forbidden forest off to the side. "Well, lets how flexible I really am on a broom."

With a very quick start he sped off towards the forest with great velocity, he loved his broom. It was _much_ faster than the school broom. He let out a small laugh when he had made the purchase. He never saw Marcus looking so… ecstatic. It was an anomaly to see the older boy smiling with happiness; it had actually caused a few people in his house to be weary of him, Marcus Flint looking happy was… an anomaly.

He flew over the trees at first until he took a nosedive straight into the forest grounds. As he got closer and closer to the ground he pulled up and continued to fly forward. The tree barks got bigger as he approached them with speed and soon the tree trunks turned to blurs as he avoided them at the last second with a quick shifts to the side, only for him to find another blur approaching him quickly and he did the same. The next few minutes were spent zooming past the trees avoiding them; he even had managed to work his way higher and was soon flying quick enough to squeeze through large gaps of the branches. He grinned to himself, the feeling of wind hitting his face, the scenery below turned into a blur from above, it was so exhilarating!

There where less and less trees the further he flew and he soon found himself in a meadow filled with dandelions and sunflowers. He looked up at the sky. What time was it? His eyes widened and he panicked. He had lost track of the time.

Something snapped nearby and caught his attention immediately, there was a sound approaching him. There was definitely something there. Remembering that the forest was well… forbidden, he mused that it was for a reason. He quickly hovered up into the sky rather quickly. He had no desire to find out what was down there. He looked towards the Hogwarts Castle and his eyes had widened. It was but a dot in the distance, how deep in the forest had he gone?

 _"I'm going to be late!"_ He thought while speeding off towards the castle. He never noticed the seemingly dead Acromantula that lay in front of the half human, half horse breed. It looked up in the sky gazing at the young wizard on the broom and watched him fly away. The Acromantula let out a cry before the Centuar looked down and narrowed his eyes, immediately plunging his spear deep into its epigynum. It cried out no more.

Harry cursed himself; McGonagall would have his head no doubt. He made It back to the Quidditch pitch in record time and quickly reached the floor near the Slytherin locker room. He put away his Nimbus Two Thousand and he all but sprinted back to the castle and continued to do so until he reached the common room, he received odd looks from the students who had been walking through the corridors. "Good morning H-" he heard Gemma Farley say, he all but mouthed a quick good morning back before she even finished his name. She blinked in surprise.

Entering the first year dormitory, he quickly walked over to his trunk to grab his texts. He took a minute to catch his breath and he calmly walked back out the common room ignoring the curious glances sent his way.

He eventually made it to his Transfiguration class and he sighed in relief. He had made it on time, barely. He went to sit next to the only seat available, next to the bushy haired girl who was sitting alone. He laid his books on the desk and sat down; ignoring the curious glance she had sent his way. He looked around the room, the rest of his friends were on the other side.

"Now class, I would like to access where you are. I will be giving a quiz today." McGonagall all but stated as she passed out pieces of parchment, several students groaned out loud especially Ronald Weasley.

He looked at the quiz below him and read the first few question. He smiled at bit. They were mostly focused on theory. Easy.

For the next few minutes he wrote and wrote, satisfied with his work he turned it in. Noticing that the girl next to him also finished, though a few seconds earlier than him.

…

"Have you seen Harry? He has been acting quite odd today." Daphne asked Tracey as they made their way to the feast. Tracey shook her head, "I haven't. I'm sure he's at the feast, probably with Blaise or Graham?"

Daphne sighed, Tracey was probably right. But she couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in her stomach. Something was amiss. She dismissed it, it must have been the day, it was a celebration of the dead after all.

They both entered the Great Hall and Daphne could of sworn Tracey had let out a small gasp, her eyes widened. Daphne smiled and appreciated the decorations; it was definitely the right atmosphere for the night. Instead of candles hovering in the air, it was replaced with pumpkin filled candles that wonderfully complimented the night sky. There where already students seated buzzing about, cheerful chatter blanketed the Hall. Daphne and Tracey made their way to go sit at their usual spot, Tracey gasped as a pumpkin above her made a popping sound. Chocolates and all sorts of sweets rained down on her!

"Don't look so surprised Tracey, they explode every now and then and let out a shower of sweets! Though you have to get lucky and hope that one goes off near you." Blaise had said.

Tracey looked towards Blaise with amusement in her eyes as she soon heard one go off in the distance, she looked over to the Hufflepuff table and her eyes landed on a group of puffs who where laying claim to a box of Bertie's Box Every flavored beans, another group nearby where fighting over a pack of lickerish wands. "H-hey!" Tracey exclaimed as someone gave a pull on her hair. "Sorry Trace, there was a small pack of Rufendale's chocolate raindrops on the top of your head!" Daphne said with a glint in her eye as she opened the small box. Tracey rolled her eyes and pulled her to sit down right next to her and in front of Blaise who was chatting with Theodore Nott about Quidditch.

"Tracey, hand over a slice of that pumpkin pie that is in front of you. It must be good." Daphne said eyeing down the table, it was the first thing to go judging by how quickly people were eating it, though another had quickly replaced it. She looked down the table again and her eyes stopped on Graham. She looked around near him looking for her raven-haired friend. She did not spot him. She frowned. She looked to the head table and noticed that Snape too was missing.

She shrugged, he must have been with the head of house again. For some reason the feeling in her stomach returned again and she simply shrugged it off by eating a slice of pumpkin pie Tracey passed her.

It had been until a few minutes later that she felt a tap on her shoulder from Graham.

"Have you seen Harry, I thought he would be with you?"

Daphne frowned again. "I thought he was with you but I also thought he might be with Professor Snape, he is not here as well." Graham frowned at her as he shook his head. "That's not possible, Snape left the castle a few hours ago. Some of the upper years that I talk to told me he went to go run some errand- look there he is now."

She turned her head around and sure enough Snape walked into the Great Hall though no one really paid attention through all the chattering going about. She saw him send a very slight nod to Dumbledore and to the rest of the Professors.

Her stomach now fell, something was definitely wrong here. Harry was nowhere to be seen at all.

She turned to the people nearby her. "When was the last time any of you have seen Harry?" Everyone gave her a blank look and she was about to let out a frustrated sigh when someone spoke up.

"I saw him roaming the corridor near the first floor about an hour and a half ago."

Surprisingly it had been Theodore Nott who had spoken up, the quiet boy rarely spoke up. Daphne nodded her head in appreciation as she sat back down. Hopefully he would join them all soon right?

The minutes passed and passed and Harry never showed up. Daphne tugged on Tracey's shoulder.

"Tracey, I think we should go find him." Tracey was about to respond, but was halted by loud thunder from outside. She opened her mouth to speak again when someone immediately opened the doors to the Great Hall with a very loud bang. Most occupants looked.

Professor Quirell walked in rather hastily while panting before he looked to the head table in fear.

"TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!" He then looked delirious as if he was ready to faint.

"Thought you ought to know…" He said slowly as his body fell to the floor.

The Great Hall was silent.

Then calamity ensued as someone yelled out in fear and snapped many out of their shock. Many other students started to yell out in fear as well, heck even Malfoy had his mouth opened to take a bite out of his pumpkin pie before he let it fall to his plate and so too yelled out in fear. Widespread panic ran rampant through the Halls and the Professors looked to Dumbledore to do something. They had no idea what to do themselves.

"Silence!" Dumbledore boomed out with a very loud voice, his wand sticking close to his throat evidently signaling the use of the Sonorous charm.

Many stopped what they were doing as everyone looked towards him. "Prefects please escort your houses to their dormitories. Professors follow me to the Dungeons. Everyone who was in Slytherin widened their eyes. Was he insane? Surely the old goat knew the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons?

Snape immediately went over to Dumbledore. "No problem there Dumbledore, I'm sure my students would love to get to their common room, AFTER they get passed the troll."

Dumbledore frowned for a second and then blinked. "Er rights Severus. Tell your prefects to keep your students here." Snape nodded his head and called his prefects.

Daphne grabbed Tracey and put her mouth close to her ears. "Tracey we need to find Harry! He doesn't know about the troll." Tracey's eyes immediately widened and she let herself be led away from the Slytherin table amongst the flood of students trying to leave the Great Hall.

They eventually separated themselves from the majority of students and ran towards the first floor.

…

Harry walked around silently, occasionally stopping by to chat with a portrait every once in a while. His stomach rumbled a bit but he paid it no mind. He was about to turn the corner when he heard a familiar voice shout out to him.

"Harry!" He turned around to see Daphne and Tracey approaching him rather quickly and panting at it too. He eyed them questionably; if this was about the feast then he would have too…

"Harry, we have to get to the Great Hall NOW!" Daphne yelled out her with her panic induced voice.

"C'mon Harry" Tracey said as she grabbed his arm pulling him along."

Harry looked at them in bewilderment; surely this wasn't about skiving the feast was it? He was about to excuse himself from her grasp when a loud shriek echoed throughout the corridor, panic, fear… and desperation was all evident, a girls voice.

His eyes widened. "What was that?!"

Tracey and Daphne eyed each other warily before Daphne spoke up, "Harry listen to me, there's a Troll in the cas-" Another fear laced scream echoed throughout the Hallway and then a roar. Something sounded like it had just been broken.

Harry's eyes had widened and looked towards the direction of the scream. "-There's a Troll running around Harry! Like the ones we read about in Defense! All the houses have been escorted to their common rooms except Slytherin, were suppose to be in the Great Hall!" She had said all in one breath. Harry's eyes had widened. The scream!

Someone was in danger, someone HAD to help. He took a step towards where the scream had come from.

Daphne's eyes widened and immediately knew what Harry was going to do; she grabbed his arm forcefully "Harry, NO! You better not be thinking what I think your thinking! Your going to get yourself killed! I'm sure the Profes-" Harry broke free from Daphne's grip forcefully and broke into a sprint, the yelling from Daphne was getting fainter and fainter until he soon found himself nearing a girls bathroom. The sound of something breaking followed again. Harry paused for a brief second to recollect his thoughts as he noticed the scream coming from the girls bathroom.

" _Dammit it all"_ and he made his way inside quickly. His heart could have gotten caught in his throat. It was tall and massive. Another yell hit his ears and he immediately recognized the form of Hermione Granger under a sink holding her legs close to her with tears running down her face. "Move out the way!" Harry yelled to her in warning, the troll brought down its hammer of a club and she did so just in the nick of time. The enormous club made contact with the sink, immediately obliterating it sending shards and fragments everywhere. He felt a sting in his cheek and he instantly clutched it with his hand, he felt a warm liquid. He looked at his hand to see it covered in his blood. A piece of shrapnel had hit him.

He saw it raise it's club again, without thinking he grabbed a piece of the sink in his fist and threw it at its head.

The Troll was ready to strike again, and before it could it felt something hit him in the head.

Harry blinked, his aim had been true. Only problem was now that the thing stared at him for a good second and started to walk towards him. His eyes widened and his heart pounded harder. He rolled out of the way quickly enough to avoid being plummeted with the wooden weapon it carried. He needed to think of something. He needed to buy time. That club was priority number one; it was bigger than in the pictures!

He rolled sideways to avoid another clobbering.

 _"Think Harry, Think!"_

An idea came to his head and he wondered if it would work. _"Only one way to find out"_

He took out his wand and pointed it at the wooden club, " _Wingardium Leviosa!"_ he said pouring magic into the spell, the club stopped in midair thankfully, he had to give his thanks to Professor Flitwick, it was dumb luck that it was the day the spell was taught. It was then that he noticed Tracey and Daphne enter the bathroom. Both widened their eyes.

He gave them a smile of satisfaction as he cancelled the spell, hitting the troll on the head with its own weapon… he watched in relief as the troll fell to the ground.

"I-Is it dead" asked Hermione Granger with disbelief in her voice still clutching herself under the sink. She crawled out and went to stand near them, she eyed the troll wearily.

Harry felt something hit him in the head

"Are you stupid?! You could have been killed! Merlin knows how you're still alive!" Daphne all but berated him. Harry turned to her, "err sorry?!" he said rather dumbly. Daphne readied herself to hit him again when she stopped mid-action, her eyes wide with shock as she stepped back. Harry followed her gaze.

He froze, the Troll was standing behind him, with its mighty hand it backhanded Harry to the side, and he went down but not before violently rolling and skidding across the floor. The Troll let out another roar as it pounded on its own chest like a sliver-back gorilla, it grabbed its club and violently smashed anything in its wake, including the stalls which had sent splinters of wood everywhere. A huge chunk hit Tracey square in the head and knocked her out on the spot.

"Tracey!"

Daphne rushed over to her unconscious friend and shook her to no avail. She turned back to the troll, and caught Grangers face, new tears once again started to fall down her already soaked cheeks. "Go get a Professor! They should be somewhere in the Dungeons!" Daphne yelled out to her.

"B-Bu-" The Bushy-haired girl started, not feeling comfortable leaving them behind. Daphne glared at her.

"GO!"

Hermione Granger nodded and ran out the bathroom.

Harry lay on the ground on the other side of the bathroom and he struggled to get up, blood ran down even more on the side of his left cheek.

…

Daphne eyed Harry worriedly before she focused back on the troll as it approached her. She shivered. What in the Merlin's name was she suppose to do? Tracey was knocked unconscious behind her, she couldn't carry her either, and she wasn't physically strong enough. " _Damn it all_ " she thought as she pulled out her wand. With a pronated flick of the wrist she blasted a red beam towards the beast and it stumbled back. It soon shrugged it off and closed the gap between them, Daphne had frozen up. This was it. She was so screwed right now! The beast raised its club, readying to pound her to oblivion She closed her eyes.

…

Harry watched it approach her friend, with a sense of urgency he forced his body to obey his will and so he managed to get up and run toward the back of the troll. He moved quickly and took hold of the club as it withdrew it back to strike her, he hung on to it for dear life and it flung him high enough that he was able to land on its head, his legs dangled from its shoulders to the monstrous pectorals of the beast, he blinked. He didn't had no idea what to do now, so he pulled its ear. Thankfully it stopped. Then he took out his wand. Perhaps he could gauge one of its eyes out or stick it up its nose?

He didn't get a chance to ponder on the idea as the beast stopped bringing down its weapon on Daphne mid swing; it noticed what was sitting on its neck. The troll reached with its hand to grab him by the leg. Harry was upside down as he faced the troll eleven feet from the ground. The troll brought him up to eye level. It sneered as Harry glared at it. It then flung its arms back, Harry's heart race immediately knowing what it was it going to do. He closed his eyes as it thrust him to the other side of the room at a forty-five degree angle.

" _Holy Fuck!_ " was the thought Harry had as he violently hit the stone barrier of a wall and slid towards the floor. Something had definitely cracked; his lower body ached as a painful vibration shrilled throughout his bones. He heard Daphne shriek out. He heard a ringing in his ear.

The troll looked at him laughed as it eyed him. He let out a small but painful laugh as well, damn that had hurt a thousand times over. Harry watched hopelessly through his fractured glasses as the troll turned its back to him, it wanted to finish its original job.

He then looked to meet the eyes of Daphne, she looked torn as she so desperately wanted to run to him and check on him, but that would be leaving Tracey to a guaranteed death. He saw the slow build up of tears threatening to fall down her face as she stood in front of Tracey's unconscious from. The troll advanced.

…

Daphne wanted her father. She wanted the Headmaster. Anyone. She freely started to let the tears fall. No escaping this time. This was where death would greet her.

Would she see her grandmother?

…

Harry watched as Daphne started to let tears down her face. He couldn't move anymore and rings of darkness in his peripheral vision were slowly closing in on obscuring his whole vision to darkness. Something about seeing Daphne cry didn't seem right to him. Something snapped deep within him. HE WOULD NOT LET HIS PRECIOUS PEOPLE GET HURT! With ferocious fury Harry FORCED his arm to move, his hand still clutched his Holly wand, he eyed a long piece of splintered wood from earlier. He then FORCED his hand to point his wand at it.

" _Intent Harry, INTENT"_ he thought and visualized the feeling of a needle, its proportional weight, its sharpness and density. He slightly smiled with glee as the five-foot long splinter of wood turned to a five-foot long instrument of sharp steel.

Harry swished and flicked his wand. _"Wingardium Leviosa"_

The large needle flew high almost near to the ceiling. _"Perfect_ "

With a rapid ulnar deviation flick with his wand, the needle blasted off with speed parallel with the Troll's skull and for the briefest moment the Troll eyed the end point of the wand.

The Troll eyed the projectile that blurred towards him and he was unable to register the blurred object. A slender and large razor sharp needle pierced its cornea, slicing through its prefrontal cortex shredding cranial nerves and tissue alike. The long piercing metal of a needle ruptured out from the back of its head, the troll's spinal cord all but obliterated before the needle's velocity allowed it to pierce the stone wall halfway, immediately imbedding itself. Chunks of flesh and purple liquid imploded.

Daphne watched in horror as a giant blade stabbed her soon to be murderer in the eye. The beast stumbled to the side from the force as kinetic energy transferred the velocity of the transfigured needle.

The Troll hit the wall on the other side of Harry; it fell in a loud crash. Purple dew seeped out the pierced eyeball, a pool of its purple blood quickly started to cover the floor.

Daphne froze as she took in the image before she quickly looked away. She eyed Harry.

Harry's vision became voided before worldly senses escaped him. The last thing he felt was his head hitting the stone wall behind him.

It wasn't long before Hermione Granger entered the Bathroom with the Professors following her.

The Professors stopped dead in their tracks as they glanced the room, trying to piece together what had happened for nothing they saw made any sense.

Tracey Davis's unconscious body was being rocketed by Daphne Greengrass who was covered in a purple liquid of some sort. Greengrass herself had tears running down her face as she was too shocked to even notice their arrival.

The Troll they had been searching for lay on the ground unmovingly, purple blood seeped out the head, its blood congealed.

A behemoth-sized needle was deeply imbedded in the stone wall.

Harry Potter was the other side of the room with an leg bent at a very strange angle, wand still clutched in his hand.

He did not move.

What the _bloody hell_ happened?

* * *

 **Chapter End**


	6. AN for now

Hi guys. Decided to update since well, October of last year. I had no idea I would have taken this long to post the next chapter. I just wanted to say that this story will not be abandoned and will explain why I have not updated. When I wrote chapter five, I decided that I would have the next chapter in at least 2 weeks. Great how that turned out huh? As I was preparing the next chapter, I couldn't help but re-read the previous chapter works and noticed that I highly needed a beta. So I message random Beta readers on the forum, hell I even tried Reddit and such. Most of the time I would not get any responses, other times potential beta testers would tell me they would message me back only that they didn't after a certain period of time. I was determined to have a beta before I posted my chapter and well I kept messaging people only to be constantly disappointed. As days passed by I slowly started to forget about the fic as my logic was basically no beta reader=no next chapter. I did start writing chapter six but scrapped it for some reason I can't remember. I have also been busy with University and such. By now I realize this is a piss poor excuse of why I haven't updated. I just wanted to let you guys know that I haven't forgotten and am back at writing, also still looking for a beta. I plan to get the previous chapters beta'd a bit as well as future ones.

I'll delete this once I find a beta or finish the next chapter. Thanks for your patience. I'm on it.


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